The Crimson Pokemon
by ClairvoyantTeen17
Summary: Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's rewritten! (Kind of...) The Crimson Dragon has predicted a great darkness will join forces with the Dark Signers, but had no idea who. With the help of their partners, the signers have to defeat the Dark signers and this new force. (It's T just to be safe. There might be some descriptions of wounds that may be gross. I don't know. I'm a bad writer.)
1. Prolouge

It was a still and quiet night, the air cool and inviting. The moon hung in the sky, full and bright and looming, watching the sleeping creatures in the forest below. The perfect night for a gathering, a meeting between some of the legendaries and guardians. The location was secret, void of any small pokemon or traveling humans. Stumps grew in a circle, and showed how old they were.

The first to arrive was a small group. They carried a slight resemblance to humans, having arms and legs. A red gem embedded into their forehead. One had pink hair, coming down in four sections, another had yellow cupping in the back, and the last appeared to have a fin of the hair on top. Two tails each looped behind them, red stones placed on the flowered ends. They were Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, Guardians of the Lakes.

Next to enter was a pair, one small and twisted next to the larger. The large pokemon had a purple tail, three fingers and a cord like connection, leading from the head to the upper back. The small was pink and more catlike than the larger, tail longer than it's body and flattened out at the end. It was Mew and Mewtwo. They sat on a stump and waited.

Groups of Legendaries approached, sometimes entering alone like Celebi. It was a full hour when all forty-eight were present. A large white, hoofed pokemon stepped forward, the others stood and bowed at the pokemon's presence. It nodded and told them to sit.

"You all know he has awaken." The legendaries nodded and shifted worried glances. "The Crimson Dragon said this would affect both our worlds. Now, the bonds need to be created and the chosen sent. Is there any pokemon in their region with strange markings?" One legendary floated to the large pokemon.

"There have been rumors of Eevee with strange markings." Mew circled the pokemon's neck, stopping at the head. "Do you think it's them, Arceus?"

" I would hope so." The alpha pokemon dismissed the meeting, but Mew stayed. The pink cat-like pokemon wanted to stay with Arceus as he waited for the large red dragon. The clear night sky turned dark, threatening purple clouds covered the moon and circled above. Thunder rumbled in the distance as arches of electricity crackled in the sky.

"Greetings, Arceus. Mew." They glanced up to the source of the wise voice. A red firey body was twisting and turning in the clouds, letting off a harsh red glow. It's wings were skinless, only four long fingers extending from it's back, claws bent and held tight to the chest.

"Have you found them?" The legendaries nodded. "Good. I will wipe their memories and send them to the other world. You will not hear from me for a few years after that."

"We understand, Crimson Dragon." Arceus bowed, tucking one leg under his body and bending the other. Mew dipped her head and kept it there. They screwed their eyes shut, a blinding white light streaming out of the dragon before them and spreading across the regions to find the chosen.

Lightning crashed close to them, splitting a tree and setting it ablaze. They looked up, the dragon gone. The night was still again, but not quiet anymore. Cracking and popping was the screams of the tree, burning alive.


	2. Chapter 1

"Hey, I found one!" rang a voice out in the junkyard. It belonged to a small boy, no older than seven, his black hair held natural yellow highlights, spiking out on the sides. His dark blue eyes locked on the item in his hand. Two more boys came rushing to him. One was a blonde, a little older than the first, purple gaze excited. The other had orange spikey hair, headband keeping it out of his grey eyes. This boy was a few years younger than the two, about five or six.

"What did you find, Yusei?" The blond boy asked. Yusei, the black haired boy, held out what was in his hand, a purple card was clenched in his small tan hands. The scarecrow on the front was made of tin parts on a wooden cross, reminding the boys of the stories their caretaker would read them. The one about a girl lost in a world she knew nothing of, filled with small men and witches and wizards trying to help her home was at the back of their minds.

"I think it's called Scrap Iron Scarecrow." The blond snatched the card from Yusei's hand, examining it. "It's a useful trap."

"Jack," the redhead boy wined. "You're not s'ppose to 'natch things from Yusei. Martha said it was mean to do." The blond scoffed.

"What are you going to do? Tattle on me?" Jack taunted. He held the card out, away from the boy's chubby little hands. It was quickly taken from him.

"Come on, Jack." Yusei slipped the card into his pocket. "Quite picking on Crow. You know Martha doesn't like it when you do that."

"What? I'm only messing with him." He ruffled the kid's hair, earning a shout of protest from him. They continued looking for more cards, hoping they would get lucky again. After an hour, they gave up and started back to the orphanage. Yusei was in the back of the group when he heard it. A small whine from behind a pile of debris. He stopped, listening for it again. He didn't notice Jack and Crow's bickering come to a halt.

"Hey, Yusei," Jack called. "What are you doing?" The boy put a finger to his lips and tried to listen again, this time the two stayed silent. They waited for a minute. Then, two. Then, three. Until they heard it. Yusei took off in the direction of the noise without a word.

"Wait up, Yusei." Jack bolted after his friend, Crow lagging behind. They turned the corner and almost toppled over Yusei. The boy had stopped suddenly, waiting for the next noise. It came again, this time a little louder and to the left of them. Yusei shot off in the direction and stopped. Curled up in an old refrigerator box, was three fox like animals. They were small, coming up to Crow's waist. Each had a white tipped, fluffy tail and collar fur, large brown ears. Eyes closed as they slept.

One of them whimpered for a fourth time, kicking at one of the others. Crow was the first to respond to the sound, rushing to comfort the small animal in a similar way Martha would do with them. Large brown eyes opened, laying themselves on the young redhead. The small fox smiled at Crow, nuzzling it's nose into the young boy's neck. Crow giggled at the cold wet touches.

"What are they?" Jack asked, stepping over to the small bundles. Another pair of sleepy eyes opened, watching Jack carefully. The blonde patted it's head and it, too smiled at him. Jack kneeled down and pulled the creature onto his lap.

"I don't know," Yusei replied. The last one was awake, having been kicked by the one in Crow's grip. Large eye stared at him curiously, the black haired boy doing the same. The fox shakily stood on it's legs, stretching the sleepiness from it's joints, and, padding to the boy, it sat at his feet.

"Who are you?" The creature seemed to ask as it tilted it's head. Now up close, Yusei could see a strange mark on it's shoulder. The design was mostly covered up by the amount of neck fur pooling out and over it's shoulders, but it was there. Yusei pushed the cream colored hair out of the way and stared at the dragon head markings. The lines were a dark brown, each impossibly exact. The others had markings too, but not like this fox's.

Crow cuddled his small fox, pulling it closer and revealing it's mark. It looked like a face smiling at the black haired boy. Jack's had a wing like pattern, four score marks on the top and another set of three branching off under the first. They seemed to notice these as well, placing a hand on the marks.

"We can't leave them here, Yusei." Jack turned his worried purple gaze to him. "They could starve to death. Or Sector Security might take them to the pound." Yusei was shocked by the eight year old's words. Jack has never shown much emotion to anything, only him and Crow knew this side of the blonde. He turned to Crow, he had heard what Jack said and pulled the fox to him, trying to wrap his short arms around the little body.

"Okay." Yusei stood, the other two doing the same. "Martha might not like this, but let's bring them back with us." Crow smiled and released the fox, throwing his arms around Yusei as a thanks.

Yusei was right about Martha not liking the extra mouths to feed, but, with a bit of persuading, she let them keep the creatures. Of course, that meant extra chores for the three, but they didn't care. The foxes helped them anyway they could, from carrying the rag or pointing out a spot they missed, it go the jobs done faster.

The problem of names still nawed at the back of their minds. Crow came up with a name faster than the older kids. His fox had accidentally poked a fork into an electrical socket while helping do dishes, earning the name Spark.

A week later, Jack and his partner were helping with dinner. She had jumped onto the counter to reach a spice needed for the meal and the tip of her tail got caught in the flame. The blonde remembered the types of measurements for heat; Fahrenheit and Celsius. Jack knew neither of the measurements could be used for the girl, but decided on Celeste.

Yusei couldn't think of anything. For a month, nothing came to mind. He called the little fox 'boy' when he needed his attention. One day, while fixing an old duel disk the two found, he asked the fox for his screwdriver. He dropped to the floor and riffled through the toolbox. Once found, the fox jumped on the table and the tool fell from his mouth, clattering to the floor and ringing out. The sound rung in Yusei's ears along with the name Ringer.


	3. Chapter 2

It's been a few years since the trio had found their partners. Jack and Yusei had moved out of the orphanage, being at the ages of sixteen and fifteen they just seemed a little too old to be staying with the little kids. They did move close to Martha, coming to visit and help around the old house. Crow and Spark would come and greet the four when they walked in, then beg them to let the two go with them. He was only thirteen at the time, and couldn't stay at the abandoned building they lived at alone. Today was no different.

"Come on, Jack," the boy pleaded. "I can take care of myself. Besides, if Sector Security comes, Spark could protect me. He has before. You remember what happened last year. I would be dead if Spark didn't push me outta the way of that 'junk slide'."

Yusei knew this story. Crow had gone off to look for cards in the junkyard, Spark had followed him there, even though the teen had told the fox to stay home. The redhead was digging thru a pile of junk when it started to lean towards him. He looked up to the large pile toppling over him. Spark slammed into him, pushing him out of the way and to the ground not far from the disaster. Crow never did find cards that day, but the bond between the two grew stronger.

"For the last time, Crow," Jack snapped, his accent thick. "When you turn fifteen, you can. Until then, you stay here. We don't need to be worrying about you everytime we leave."

The teen pouted and stormed off with Spark at his heels. Yusei shook his head, frustrated with Jack for snapping at their young friend, and grabbed his toolbox. Martha was having some problems with the stove. He found Ringer at the open oven, black nose twitching as he sniffed the air, his eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration and ears pressed back.

"What's wrong, Ringer?" Yusei approached the small fox, who didn't gain an inch in the years he had known his friend. It surprised him. Ringer stayed the same, while he grew and started showing his age.

The animal didn't turn to his friend, keeping his nose in the oven, but his ear twitched to show he heard Yusei. The teen watched him sniff for a few seconds, before Ringer's ears shot up and he yipped at the teen, telling him there was no leak. Yusei smiled and patted his friend on the head before getting to work.

It took a few hours, but the oven was working before dinner. Martha had offered them to stay and eat with them. The teens declined and started their walk home. Jack had been rambling about Crow pleading to stay with them while he worked. Celeste had listened to every word, giving yips of disagreement or approval every once in awhile. Yusei had blocked them out, choosing to stare at Ringer's mark. It still brought questions to the teen. What did it mean? Was it a scar? Or a tattoo? Why did Spark and Celeste have one, too? Most of the questions he shook off and others he just plain ignored.

He yawned and decided to go to bed early, Ringer followed him to bed. He lifted the thin blanket they had and the fox jumped under with him. It got cold in the crumbling building, the only heat sources coming from Ringer and him. They curled up under the thin cover, and listened to the sounds of the Satellite.

There were barely any animals on the island. No birds to sing wake up calls or dogs to sing their horrible lullaby. It was just the sound of Sector Security runners rolling by that eased them to sleep, but it wouldn't come to them tonight. They bolted when Jack screamed, out of th room and across the hallway to Jack's.

The teen was pressed up against the wall, away from his 'bed' and the lump on top. The blanket shifted as the thing under it moved. Two orange ears sprung from the cover and green-blue eyes stared at Jack, confused. It had a lick of yellow fur n it's head, the same yellow that spilled from it's neck.

"Jack, what happened?" Yusei asked, helping the teen to his feet. Jack's jaw moved, no words coming out out at first, but soon some did.

"Celeste, she started glowing and- and." Jack pointed a finger to the creature in his bed. "And turned into that."

The fox, smiled and jumped from the bed at the name. She was bigger than before, Yusei concluded once he figured out it was Celeste, by the red mark on her shoulder. The fox nuzzled her head into Jack's hands, begging for affection. The teen didn't say anything, complying with her demands. Jack did something Yusei wasn't expecting. He wrapped his partner in a tight hug and whispered something in her ear, she licked at his face in apology. Yusei didn't know if the comment was to be secret or if Jack didn't care, but he heard it.

"Don't scare me like that, again."


	4. Chapter 3

Twisting the acceleration, the engine roared to life. It echoed down the long tunnel and caught the attention of the others. They turned from the duel they were watching and clicked it off.

"Sorry, Yusei. We would have watched the podcast somewhere else, but we didn't have a long enough chord," Tank apologize.

Ringer bolted from the train car he was sleeping in and went to greet his friend. The same thing happened to Ringer, his appearance altering and changing, but he didn't react like Jack did that night. Now, the fox had black fur and yellow rings on his tail, shoulders, ears and hind legs. The mark on his shoulder was now a yellow, and was where one of the rings was suppose to go. His head was level with Yusei's hip.

"It's fine." Yusei lowered himself to his runner and asked his partner for a wrench. "The only one who has to be sorry is Jack."

It had been a year since Jack betrayal and it still burned Yusei up. The blonde had taken his best card, Stardust Dragon, and the first duel runner he had made. Then, became the world champion. He ignored his friends as they bickered, something about Tank saying too much and Nervin yelling at him about it.

Ringer growled suddenly around the wrench in his mouth. Yusei patted down the fox's rising fur and looked in the direction his partner was staring in. Ringer's mood did a 180, growling replaced with a happy yelp.

"Yusei!" someone shouted. "Look what we found." It was Rally and Crow. The first was about thirteen, while Crow was fifteen. Both had red hair, but Crow's was a bit more orange than Rally's. Yellow marks were painted on their faces. Spark was ahead of them, long legs making him faster than his competition.

Crow's partner had also changed like Ringer and Celeste. His fur had become yellow and spiked, holding an appearance similar to Crow himself, and stood at the teen's hip. The mark on his shoulder had turned white, along with the white, spikey neck fur. He had lost his tail, but gained long legs and purple eyes. His ears kept their shape, but had a few spikes here and there.

"Hey, Yus', think you could use this?" Rally held out an acceleration chip, a very expensive one at that. Yusei took it and placed it in his runner.

"Where did you steal that from, you two?" Blitz scolded. "You know, you both can be tracked and them the rest of us could be marked. Crow, you should know better than Rally. Being sent to the facility and away from Spark, you went mad."

Yusei revved his engine, the sound louder than before and the arguments stopped. Rally stared in aw at Yusei, Crow smiled. Blitz looked shocked, probably for the fact the duelist actually used the acceleration chip.

"Wow," Tank whispered. Ringer gave Yusei a light headbutt to the knee. Nervin didn't say anything, only stared in shock like Blitz. Unfortunately, their celebration was cut short. A bright light seeped through a crack in the ceiling and a voice announced their request.

"Identification number 8WX, come out with your hands up. You are in possession of stolen property. There is no where you can run." Rally stared down at the ground. Crow did the same.

"What did you guys do?" Blitz scolded again.

"I told you it was just laying on the ground and nobody was around." Rally pointed to Crow and Spark. "They were there. They saw it, too."

"Rally's telling the truth," Crow confirmed. "It was laying on the ground. Besides, it was Spark that pointed it out. He picked up it's electrical signal."

"There's no time to argue." Yusei clacked a few keys on his keyboard. "I jammed the signal. That should give you enough time." He grabbed his helmet, the same color as his runner.

"What are you doing?" Nervin asked the duelist. Yusei placed the protective gear on his head and sat on the duel runner, Ringer jumped on behind the duelist with his own helmet on.

"Taking the chip for a test drive," he said before peeling out. The runner launched out of the subway entrance, skidding to a halt in front of the officers and their runners.

"Hey, guys," Yusei shouted. Ringer yelped in excitement, Yusei heard a quiet growl of warning from the animal behind him. The creature never really showed his protective side, but sometimes it slipped out before Ringer could catch it.

Yusei hit the acceleration and sped off, not giving the Sector Security a chance to catch them. It was only a few seconds till the sirens could be heard. What was he going to do? He was going to lead them away, but where? Ringer yelped over the accelerator and into his ear. He glance to his partner, the creature was looking to his left. He looked in the direction; a desolate alleyway.

"Great job, Ringer." He turned his bike into the alley and slowed down for the cops to catch up. Red and blue lights lit up the walls surrounding them. The one on the runner smiled, chuckling at the 'accomplishment' of catching Yusei.

"Remember me, Yusei?" The officer pulled the white helmet off his head. Black bangs sprung back into place, thick eyebrows scrunched into a permanent scowl. The scar under his left eye stood out on his dark skin.

"Hey, Trudge." Ringer yipped a greeting as well. Trudge growled at the teen's back seat driver. The officer never really liked the fox, not after he helped Crow escape from him.

"I see you still have that flea ridden pet of yours." This earned a laugh from the officers in the car behind Trudge. Yusei narrowed his cobalt eyes at the man.

"Ringer is not a pet, Trudge," the duelist warned. "He's my partner."

"How about I take your 'partner' and place you in the facility, Yusei?" Trudge smiled. "I'd like to see how you act without him."

"How about a deal, then?" This caught the officer's attention.

"What kind of deal?" Yusei allowed him the tiniest smirk.

"A duel. If I win, you leave us alone."

"What's in it for me?"

"You take me in. I tell your boss me and Ringer tried to outrun your pursuit, but couldn't get away. That should get you promoted." Yusei shrugged. "Maybe even get you famous for discovering a new species. Even you know, Ringer isn't your normal fox." The officer thought about it for a few seconds, before giving his response.

"You got a deal."


	5. Chapter 4

"But sir this is against the book!" An officer complained, before getting snapped at by his commanding officer.

"Get back to base. That's an order!" The officer went back to the car and drove away. Trudge turned back to the pair and smirked.

"Well, Yusei. It looks like I'm going to be dragging you to the facility, 'cause it's illegal for Satellites to have decks, let alone runners," Trudge smirked.

"Oh, I have a deck alright." He held up his stack of cards. Trudge's eye widened, but he cracked a smile again, excitement flowing through him. "And they will help me beat you."

Trudge laughed at this and said, "nothing in that trash deck of your's will beat me. They're the cards nobody wanted and discarded because they were weak."

"Guess we'll see about that." Yusei slotted his cards and turned his runner around. Trudge pulled up next to the duelist and they counted down.

3…

2…

1…

Duel! They sped off and Trudge activated the Speed World field spell. Their life point count rose to 4000 and their speed counters started at zero.

"I'll start thing off," Trudge said, pulling a card from the top of his deck. "And I think I'll summon Assault Dog in attack mode, then end my turn with a face down." The monster looked like a Doberman with green vest to hold the machine gun on it's back. It ran alongside the officer's white runner. 1200 attack points slid onto the visors of the duelists.

"It's going to be such a load off once you're in the facility and that mangy mutt of your's is in the pound," Trudge taunted. "Better yet, that thing would look good hanging on someone's wall." The officer howled in laughter, this earned a growl from Ringer. One even threatened to rumble deep in Yusei's throat. He pushed down the feeling and drew a card. The speed counters increased.

"Oh, I'm not going to the facility, Trudge." He placed a card on his duel disk. "And Speed Warrior is going to show you that." The faceless monster skated next to Yusei. It's face was covered by an oxygen mask and goggles, hiding any and all facial features. The number 900 slid into the officer's view.

"Why would you summon that piece of trash? It can't even defeat m Assault Dog." Speed Warrior's attack points rose passed Assault Dogs, making him 600 points stronger than Trudge's monster. "Wait! What happened? What cheap trick are you using, Satellite?"

"It's no trick, Trudge. It's Speed Warrior's special ability," Yusei said. "On the turn it's summoned, Speed Warrior's attack points are doubled. Speed Warrior, take out his Assault Dog!" The monster obeyed, twisting and jumping, then slashed the dog with the heel of his skate. Assault Dog let out a howl of pain and shattered into pieces. Another was on the field, taking it's place next to Trudge, but it didn't stop the 600 points of damage.

"When Assault Dog is destroyed, another can take be summoned from my deck to the field." Yusei stayed silent and placed a card face down, ending his turn. Trudge drew a card and started his turn.

"I will release my Assault Dog to summon out Handcuffs Dragon." The dragon was an earthy green. It's tail curved in two directions and appeared to be made out of metal. Two tusk like extensions curled from the dragon's mouth. A red eye stared into Ringer's. The fox like animal didn't react, but carefully watched the 1800 attack points that appeared on his visor.

"Since your monster's attack points are back to normal, I'll have my dragon attack Speed Warrior." The dragon's tusk opened in a roar and quickly came at the warrior.

"Not so fast." Yusei's face down flipped over. "I activate my Scrap Iron Scarecrow! This stops your monster's attack in it's tracks."

"Think I'm not ready for that?" Trudge grinned. "I activate my trap. Wiretrap! This negates your trap and send it back to your deck." The dragon continued it's attack, wrapping it's cuff shaped tusks and tail around Speed Warrior and shattered it. Yusei's life points dropped to 3100.

They traveled down an overpass. Trudge turned on the narrow passageway and sped passed Yusei, who did the same. The officer shouted over his shoulder, and the acceleration of the two engines, to Yusei.

"You're never going to win with that trash. Don't forget; you got that mutt right behind you, too. The drool might even make your deck a bit better." The officer threw his head back, like a dog and howled in laughter. Ringer whined from behind him. The fox could only take so much of Trudge's taunts and downgrading, no matter how much was thrown at him.

"Calm down, Ringer." His partner whimpered in argument. "You're not a dog. Trudge just needs to remember that." The duelist drew a card from his deck. "I summon Sonic Chick in defense mode. Then, set two cards face down."

"What's wrong, Satellite? That trash you call a deck failing you?" Trudge mocked. He drew a card and smirked. "By discarding three cards from my hand, I can special summon you a one way ticket the the facility. I summon Montage Dragon." The monster was huge, tail reaching the hood of Yusei's runner and the middle head passed Trudge. Three heads sprouted from on body, each with a skull plating their forehead. Blue scales covered it's body, a tan color protecting it's underbelly. The number 3000 slid into Yusei's view. How was he supposed to beat that?

"Handcuff Dragon, why don't you send that chicken to the graveyard?" The dragon roared and lunged at Sonic Chick, crushing it in it's cuffs. "Now, Montage Dragon, attack Yusei directly with Power Collage!" The dragon followed it's master's orders, sending a beam of light at its target. Yusei's life points plummeted to a measly 100. "See Yusei? In order to win a duel, you have to have strong cards. Not whatever you've thrown together in that trash deck. I bet that fleabag is the one who made it for you."

Ringer whimpered again, but placed his head between Yusei's shoulder blades, trying to find a bit of comfort in the touch. Yusei was unable to contain the growl that rattled his vocal cords.

"You'll see what my deck was put together by both of us. We put our hearts and souls into this deck." He placed two fingers on the top of his deck, and silently made a wish; _Please, help me turn this duel around._ Yusei felt something furry and weighted fall on his gloved hand. He glanced behind him and smiled at Ringer, who had a paw on his hand. Yusei drew a card.

"I summon Junk Synchron!"

"What?" Trudge shouted. "How did you get your hands on a tuner monster?" Yusei ignored Trudge's comment and played another card.

"I activate the spell Graceful Revival. Now, I can summon a monster from my graveyard. Welcome back, Speed Warrior." The warrior appeared next to Yusei's runner, earning a yip of welcome from Ringer. "I tune my Speed Warrior with my Junk Synchron to summon Junk Warrior."

"Ha!" Trudge shouted. "That piece of trash isn't strong enough to defeat my dragons."

"I activate the speed spell Vision Wind. This adds Speed Warrior's attack points to Junk Warrior's." Junk Warrior's attack points increased to 3200. "Hey, Junk Warrior, why don't you give Handcuff Dragon a taste of those attack points?" The monster flew ahead of Yusei's runner and destroyed the dragon. Trudge's life points dropped from 3400 to 2200.

"Since he was destroyed, I can activate Handcuff Dragon's special ability." The target latched itself onto Junk Warrior and lowered it's attack points to 1400. "Now, Junk Warrior can't change it's battle position. I can't wait to throw you into the facility and see how well you do without that waste of space. There is no way you can win, Yusei."

"I activate Equip Shot." Handcuff Dragon detached itself from Junk Warrior, returning the monster's attack points, and clamped onto Mantage Dragon. "That means your dragon's ability will now be applied to your Mantage Dragon. Now, Junk Warrior, attack his dragon and win this duel." The warrior launched at the dragons, breaking them into thousands of tiny yellow and white shards. Trudge's points plummeted to zero, causing the officer to stop and steam to pour out of the vents.

"I can't believe I lost to that filthy scum and that flea-ridden-waste-of-space!" Trudge shouted. Yusei turned and stopped in front of the officer. His face was set in a scowl, hands tight around the accelerators. Ringer kept his face from Trudge's view, placing his muzzle on the duelist's shoulder.

"Any card, so long as it exists, has potential to be useful. Someone who'd reject cards by calling them trash like you doesn't have the right to call themselves a duelist." Yusei sped off and ignored Trudge's vows of sending him to the facility. Ringer buried his nose into the folds of the blue jacket.

Yusei slowed his runner and stopped on an isolated road where the Satellite met the water. He pulled off the red helmet, doing the same with his partner's, and stared at the view. More specifically, New Domino City. The lights shone in the dark, blocking out any stars that tried to be seen.

Placing a hand on Ringer's head, the fox glanced up at him. Ringer gave a smile, his fur slightly damp with the tears shed from red eyes. The worst was over, for now, but they both knew what was to come. They turned to the city.

"We're coming for you, Jack," Yusei muttered. Ringer shifted, choosing to lean against his partner. The duelist started his runner and peeled out. They had some friends to meet.


	6. Chapter 5

Machines clacked together as they worked for no pay. Residents of the Satellite worked endlessly at the conveyor belts of broken parts. Most didn't talk, but these five did. Blitz was ahead of them, arms stiff as boards to carry the boxes full of parts. Nervin was a step behind, one box in his grip. Crow was close to the first two, Spark next to him with a pail in his teeth. Tank was lagging behind with three boxes stacked, blocking his view.

"When I get to the city, I want to try a milkshake," Nervin said, hiking his boxes up to get a better hold. Blitz shared his own opinion.

"Naw, I want a burger when I get to the city. Or a cheeseburger."

"I just want to get to the city," Crow sighed. "I want to ride on my runner, with Spark in the back. How does that sound, buddy?" The animal barked a reply around the red plastic handle.

"Hey, guys wait up," Tank shouted from the back. He was starting to fall behind, the load in his hands becoming too much. He tried quickening his step to catch up but ended up landing face first on the concrete, the box of parts thrown everywhere. The others stopped, throwing their own boxes aside to help their friend.

"Tank, are you okay?" Their friend nodded, Crow helping him to his feet. They didn't notice the three sitting on the bench nearby until they spoke up.

"He's fine. Your friend only took a slight trip is all," said a blue-haired teen, probably a little older than Blitz, who was seventeen. Two others were with him. One had a strange dark purple hairstyle, making his head look like a tent. The other had a bit of brown hair on the top of his head. All three had yellow marks on their cheeks.

"Hey, Lenny," the brunette chuckled. "It looks like he scuffed up your shoes." The purple haired 'freak', as Crow put it so kindly, snickered between his teeth.

"Looks like he owes you a new pair of shoes, Lenny," he added, ending with another snicker between his teeth. The first, Lenny, grinned.

"Yeah, I'm a size six, by the way." His grin widened menacingly, peering down at the friends. Blitz was the first to respond, lunging forward and gripping Lenny's shirt in his fist. Nervin stepped away, trying to avoid the beginnings of a fight. Crow, who still had a hold of Tank, backed up as Spark started to growl a threat.

"You're not getting anything from us, Lenny," Blitz threatened. The Satellite smiled, pulled his fist back and connected it with Blitz's nose.

* * *

Rally stared at the stopwatch in his hand, listening for the acceleration of Yusei's runner. The two had been at this all morning, trying to decrease the time. Yusei wanted to wait for Crow to come back since both had runners and could take the pipeline, but the redhead and his partner was caught up at work.

A sound echoed down the long tunnel, catching Rally's attention. The sound grew louder as the source got closer, a speck of red appeared down the dark passage. It was Yusei and Ringer! The black fox caught Rally's attention with a yip as the passed. He hit the button to stop the watch. He glanced at the time. It was a new record.

"Yusei! You beat your record!" He showed the grey device to the duelist. "Do you think it'll be enough to clear the pipeline?"

"It has to be," Yusei said determined. "Time me, again." He turned the runner and sped off, the watch now counting the seconds till he came back. He stared after the red motorcycle. That's how they found him.

"Guys?" Rally called at the sound of a glass bottle being kicked. "Is that you?" His heart quickened, waiting in that dreadful silence. Or for another bottle to roll under a moving object. Nothing came for a few seconds, Rally turned back in the direction Yusei disappeared to.

"Hey, Rally," echoed a tired voice from behind him. "Could you help us?"

Rally turned on his heel and dropped the watch to hang around his neck. Crow was half supporting, half dragging Tank, who was about to crush the poor redhead. Blitz and Nervin tried to help, taking the other teen's arm. The three older had bruises. Blitz had a black eye, a small trail of blood leaked from his nose. Nervin sported a quickly forming bruise on his jaw, purple and black blending together on his pale skin. Spark limped beside Crow, fur bristled a bit more than usual.

Ignoring the oncoming vehicle, he leaped down from his ledge and helped Crow support their friend. They helped Tank to the bench and sat him down, followed by the other three. Rally ran off to find the first aid kit. Yusei pulled his runner next to the entrance of their hangout. Ringer jumped over the arm guard and bound over to Spark, who was favoring a paw. Yusei stopped in front of his friends, inspecting the damage, but wasn't surprised Crow didn't have a mark on him.

"What happened?" He asked. Rally ran back in, white tin box in hand. He popped it open and started on Blitz, taking the teen's bandana off and pressing it to his nose in hopes it helps stop the blood trail from his nose.

"Remember Lenny and his goons?" The black haired teen nodded, remembering how much trouble those three had caused. "Well, Lenny decided to trip Tank and Blitz started a fight."

" 'E'th ta wne who threw ta 'irst 'unch," Blitz argued around his, possibly, broken nose. Rally yelled at him to stay quiet and continued working.

"I'm guessing, Spark kept them away from you," Yusei commented. The redhead nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. It didn't really surprise the teen. The bond between the two had become stronger over the last few years. When Crow was taken by Sector Security, Spark had become depressed. Sleeping on blankets and refusing to move from where Crow slept on any other day. At one point, Spark refused to eat and his ribs slowly pushed through flesh and fur. When he came back a few months later, the fox refused to leave his side.

"Done!" Rally exclaimed once he finished wrapping Spark's paw. Blitz had a wad of gauze over his nose and a cold pack over his black eye. Nervin had a bandaid over his bruise, though it wouldn't do much. Tank's ankle was wrapped in white bandages. The large teen complained at the use of the bandages, saying he only twisted his ankle as they tried to retreat.

"I would have socket it to him," Nervin said with a flare of confidence. "Well, if I could, that is."

"Would'a, could'a, should'a," chuckled a voice. "Never happened, did it?" Yusei, the first to register the voice, stepped away from the injured teens and to the entrance, Ringer behind him. Meters from where their little home was Lenny, his goons not far behind.

"Hey, Yusei," the criminal called. He cracked a smile. "I heard you and that mangy mutt beat that officer Trudge. That true?"

"I wouldn't call him a duelist," Yusei confirmed. He didn't bother quieting a growl from his partner. "But for a dog of the establishment, it seems he can accept his losses." The teen nodded, eyes glued to the red runner. Eyes filled with greed and a plan.

"You know," Lenny started. "That's a nice runner you got there. Satellites like you don't deserve such luxuries. How about a duel? I win, I get your runner." Yusei glanced at the runner, their hope of escaping this place. Sure, Crow had one in the back, but he wasn't going to take something that wasn't his. Besides, Crow deserved to use it. The redhead worked hard on making it the best he could.

"Sure." Yusei detached his duel disk from the runner and stepped to an area they could play their game. Ringer wined and followed the duelist, both ignoring their friend's protests and shocked expressions.

"I'll begin." Lenny pulled a card from his deck. "I summon Chainsaw Insect in attack mode." The bug was bigger than Lenny, steel pincers sprouting from the corners of its mouth. Moving metal teeth lined the sides of the pinchers. They made it look bigger than it was, which wasn't a big difference. Ringer moved from his spot next to Yusei to the front, growls rumbled deep in his throat.

"Then, I play the Retribution of The Ant Lion. Now every time one of our monsters are destroyed, then you take 800 points of damage."

"What's this?" Blitz shouted from the side. "What kind of deck do you have?"

"An Insect Power deck."


	7. Chapter 6

"Oh no," Nervin whispered to no one in particular. "It's an insect duel. Ever since that cockroach nested in his ear, Yusei freezes up when he hears the word 'bug'."

"Yeah," Crow agreed. "I avoid saying it in general. Ringer threatened me and almost started a fight with Spark." He patted the fox's head, earning a happy sound from deep in his chest.

"Aw," Lenny cooed. "Does someone need that mutt to protect them from big scary bugs?" This sent Lug and Larry in a fit of laughters.

"Yeah," Lug gasped, "maybe he needs a bottle, too." Yusei stayed silent. He didn't really hear the insults thrown at him, or the comments from the sidelines. He was more focused on the threat in front of him. The insect. He did hear the protective growl from Ringer and felt the warmth from the fox pressing his body to Yusei's stiff legs.

"I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode and lay one card face down." The warrior turned blue, showing his status on the field. He took a knee, shield held firmly in front and spear in hand.

"I think he's afraid, boss!" Shouted one of the spectators. Probably, Lug. Yusei didn't really pay attention, too focused on the creature on his opponent's field and the comforting warmth Ringer gave off.

"Well, let's give him another reason to be scared." Lenny drew his card. "I summon Pinch Hopper in attack mode." This insect, too, was large, but didn't size up to Chainsaw Insect. This one was about Ringer's size, green, and resembled a grasshopper. See thru wings sprouted from the monster's back. "Now, I activate Insect Costume. By sending Pinch Hopper to the graveyard, I can add a card from my deck to my hand."

The earth at Lenny's feet opened, and a yellow beam of light was sent into the air and down upon the insect duelist. He stumbled, shocked and confused as to what hit him, sending his life points down to 3200.

"What was that?"

"Hey, knucklehead!" Called Blitz, mocking Lenny, "did you forget your own trap?"

"No. It's all part of my plan." Even Yusei could tell that was a lie. His opponent had forgotten the card was even in play. "Thanks to the special ability of Pinch Hopper, I get to special summon Metal Armored Bug from my hand." The six legged creature was hidden under the sheets of crafted metal, bent and cut to fit it's body. Green eyes stared at Ringer, who held the gaze and took a threatening step to the hologram.

"That's not all," Lenny said. "I remove Insect Knight and Pinch Hopper from play, in order to summon Doom Dozer." His monster was the largest, yet, it's thick, orange attena brushing against the ceiling. It's body was slimmer than the other two, and more colorful. It looked like a centipede, a really big centipede. "How about some action? Chainsaw Insect attack his Shield Warrior." The monster snapped its pincers together, threatening and charged at the warrior.

"I activate my face down." The card on Yusei's field flipped up. The Scrap Iron Scarecrow emerge out of the card and between the two monsters. "Now, Shield Warrior is safe."

"Well, not for long," Lenny said, shocked and weary of the trap placed back on the field. "Metal Armor Bug, attack his monster." Yusei shielded his eyes from the attack, the shards of his monster passing through him. Retribution Of The Ant Lion activated, causing the duelist to cry out in shock and subtract 800 life points. Ringer whined a question of concern. Doom Dozer was the next to attack, following its master's orders and crawling at a fast pace. The life point meter dropped to a dangerous 400.

"You can't handle the power of my Insect deck," Lenny boasts. "No Satellite can. That runner is mine." Yusei didn't say anything, didn't need to as he drew a card calmly. Ringer's stance loosened, backing up to stand next to him.

"I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode, then activate the spell Double Summon. This allows me to summon another monster." Yusei cracked a smile. "Come on out, Junk Synchron." The monsters stood side by side, ready for their orders. Whatever clothes they had stayed in place, no turbo duel winds to make Junk Synchron's scarf twist and curl. His friends cheered, Ringer yipped next to him. They knew what he was going to do.

"I tune my Speed Warrior with my Junk Synchron and summon Junk Warrior." The monster stared at the opponent with blank red eyes. What little light seeped through the ceiling, bounced off the warrior's blueish- purple form, hiding the silver frame. White scarf hung from its neck and fell to the monster's knees.

"Wait," Lenny said, shock and utter worry across his features. "How do you own a synchro monster?" Yusei ignored his question, continuing his turn.

"I equip Fighting Spirit to my Junk Warrior. Now, for every monster on your field, he gains 300 attack points." The warrior's attack increased to 3200 in a blink of an eye. "I activate Domino Effect and send my Junk Warrior in for an attack." The metal warrior dove at it's target, and punched the monster. Chainsaw Insect roared and fell onto it's comrade, Doom Dozer, then onto Metal Armored Bug. Fighting Spirit and Scrap-Iron Scarecrow was sent to the graveyard, shattering into tiny white and yellow shards. Lenny's monsters did the same. "Since you lost monsters, your Retribution of the Ant Lion activates and takes 2400 of your Life Points. Plus, the 800 point difference between Chainsaw Insect and my Junk Warrior."

Lenny's Life Points plummeted to 0. He dropped to his butt, a look of pure shock and defeat on his face. He had lost, but stood back on his feet. Yusei ignored the bully at first, kneeling down to Ringer and stroked his head.

"Thanks, Ringer." The fox closed his eyes and gave a yip of welcome. Yusei got back to his feet, Lenny now standing next to him. The blue haired duelist offered a hand, which Yusei took. "You did have me a couple of times. You just gotta have balance in your deck."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lenny smirked. "You got skills. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky."

Yusei gave a small smile and peered down to his partner. "We'll look forward to it." The three left, but not before hanging out with the group, and apologizing to Tank, Crow, Spark, Nervin, and Blitz, for a few hours. The sun was almost under the horizon when they did leave.

The gang was getting ready for bed. Crow was chasing Spark around, trying to get his limping partner to calm down and get some sleep. Rally tried helping, though that mostly included tripping over his feet and colliding with Crow. Blitz and Nervin tried cleaning up, picking up loose ends and clearing their sleeping places. Tank pulled thin blankets and poor excuses for pillows, out and started setting them in the cleared areas.

Yusei put the finishing touches on his runner for the night, Ringer sat by his side, rushing to grab whatever tools the duelist needed. Mostly bugs and minor fixes here and there, something simple and could be done in thirty minutes, but it took a bit longer. Thoughts of his plans destined for tomorrow, plans that will change the way he and his friends will live.

He peeled his eyes from his work and to the crevasse in the ceiling, the moon now full and bright in the sky. Ringer nuzzled Yusei's arm, trying to tell him everything was going to be okay and will work out. It eased his worry and, probably, Ringer's, too.

"Hey, Yusei," Crow breathed. The younger duelist didn't lose his breath in the small chase. Spark laid in his sleeping spot on the floor next to Crow's bench in the old car, panting harder than his partner. The only remains of the chase was a tired Rally and a bit of a mess. "You gonna work on your runner all night? Or are ya gonna get some sleep?"

"I'll be there in a minute, Crow." Yusei placed the tool in his grip, back. "Just gotta put some stuff away." Crow seemed satisfied with the answer, leaving to settle down for bed. By the time Yusei was finished, everyone was already under their blankets.

Spark had found his way next to Crow, basically lying on top of the teen, wet black nose pressed to one of Crow's yellow marks. Rally took the other seat in the car, curled under his thin blanket and his light blue jacket, red hair freed from that yellow beanie. Tank laid in the middle of the car on his back, arms laid down on either side just above Nervin's and Blitz's heads. The skinny teen's glasses were set down on the table in the middle of their hangout. Blitz's bandana wrapped the piece of metal and glass, protecting it from any fall it might take.

Yusei grabbed his blanket and pillow and placed them on one of the benches just outside the subway car. He shrugged off his jacket and laid it on the floor. Ringer nosed his way under the fabric and curled up under it. Yusei kicked off his shoes, unfolded the blanket, and laid down with a hand behind his head.

"Night, guys." It was Rally who starts it, the chain of 'good night's and 'sweet dreams'. Crow answers with a sigh, throwing an arm around Spark, who didn't utter a sound. Tank was next, giving a yawned response. Nervin grumbled his, Blitz doing the same.

"Night," Yusei whispered, knowing the younger teens were already asleep. Pulling his hand out from under his head, he grabbed Ringer's ear and petting it softly. The fox gave a kind of purr, a cross between a yip and a growl. Soon, the hideout was filled with the sounds of Tank's loud snores, Blitz's heavy breathing, and Ringer's throat noise. It lulled Yusei's busy mind to sleep, reassuring the safe atmosphere.

* * *

 **Hey, guys. Yes, I know it's been a while since I updated this book. Hope you enjoy this chapter and ready for the next one.**

 **~ClairvoyantTeen17**


	8. Chapter 7

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not, Crow." The young teen had been at this all morning, pestering Yusei about the matter. They woke up after a few hours of sleep and were getting ready for the pipeline. "Only me and Ringer can fit."

"That's true, but I have my own runner. Remember?" Of course, Yusei would know. How could he? The teen built his own, one black and yellow and bird like. Crow's inspiration came from Ringer's fur and his Blackwing deck. As Yusei built his, Crow worked on both runners. Whatever he learned from Yusei, he applied. Not long after Yusei's was finished, Crow's was done. It even had room for Spark to ride with him.

"No. You are staying here."

"Fine," he grumbled and stormed off, Spark on his heels. Yusei sighed, turning to the red runner. This was it, only twenty minutes till he had to leave. The pipeline might be their only chance to escape. He and Ringer would leave at 11:30. The maintenance hatch should be open by midnight and stay open for thirty minutes. No, this is their chance to escape. Their only chance, now that Yusei had his runner.

The duelist climbed onto his runner, Ringer sitting behind him. Their friends gathered around, ready to wish them good luck, and say 'bye'. Rally came rushing to Yusei.

"Yusei."

"What's up, Rally?" Yusei asked. Rally smiled and held out a card.

"Here." The ebony teen took the card in his grip and stared at it. The yellow mechanical monster stared back at him with a sense of loyalty and determination. It was Turbo Booster.

"Turbo Booster," Yusei muttered, showing it to his passenger. "Wasn't this your father's card?" The red head nodded.

"I want you to have it. That way we'll be with you every step of the way." Rally offered a goofy smile.

"Thank you," Yusei said and turned to the others. "All of you." Then, he noticed someone was missing, well two were missing. "Where's Crow and Spark?" They all looked around, Blitz even called to them. Nothing.

"Well, you can't worry about them, right now," Nervin said. "You gotta go. If you don't go now, you'll miss your chance." Yusei nodded a thanks. Rally threw his arms around Ringer, who nuzzled into the young teen's neck. When he released the embrace, small tears pricked the corners of his grey eyes.

Yusei started his runner, and peeled out of the small tunnel. He heard Rally shout 'good luck' as he raced off. The runner shot out the subway entrance and swerved, sticking the landing. He was only a few yards from it when Ringer let out a happy in his ear. The fox was staring behind them to another runner catching up quickly.

"Crow, what are you doing?" Yusei shouted to the younger duelist. The black and yellow runner came up next to him, the driver chancing a glance to Yusei.

"I told ya, Yus'; we are going with you," Crow persisted. Spark yipped from behind him in agreeance. His large, spiky ears stuck out of the black and yellow helmet. "Remember, Jack didn't take just your card. He has mine as well."

"I said I was going to get it back, get both of them back," Yusei said to his friend.

"And when were we going to see you again?" Crow snapped. "How would we know if you're going to be okay? Or if Sector Security got you? We would never know. Ever think of that?"

"Crow…" Yusei trailed off and turned back to where they were heading. They were almost to the gate, almost to a new life. There was no turning back, now. Especially, with the new runner catching up to them. Trudge.

"You're not going anywhere, Satelites." The officer caught up quickly, and slammed into Yusei, trying to slow him down. "I'm going to make sure you get locked up and the key gets thrown away. Then, that mutt of your's is going in the pound." The vehicle bashed into Yusei's bike, trying to slow him down.

"Yusei!" Crow cried, watching his friend try to speed up. The gate was coming up fast and the spiky haired duelist was worried they weren't going to make it. Ringer growl at the officer, red eyes full of warning and threats. It didn't affect Trudge, who glared at the fox. Ignoring the warning, Yusei hit the accelerator hard, speeding towards the tall metal gate. Crow was close behind. With a grunt, the red runner was in the air, flying over the barrier. The Blackwing duelist did the same, metal wings folding out to help him glide over.

"Open the gate! They're heading for the pipeline!" Yusei heard Trudge shout into his earpiece. Yusei hoped the officer wasn't heard. Or the order was given a second too late. Midnight was growing closer and Trudge's promises and threats were starting to sound likely.

Ringer growled, a warning rumbling deep in his throat and over the acceleration. "Uh, Yusei..?" The duelist chanced a glance behind them, and swore under his breath. Trudge was growing closer by the second. Yusei glanced at the timer on his runner. They still had time, if Trudge didn't slow him down. Only two minutes till the hatch would open and the garbage would stop flowing.

 _Come on. Come on, come on_ , Yusei silently pleaded and hit the acceleration. The MPH gauge lurched in response, as did his runner. Crow's black and yellow, bird like runner disappeared for a few seconds, slowly coming back into view when the young duelist did the same. Spark's front paws were placed dangerously on the back of the black runner, yellow fur spiking impossibly more. Yusei couldn't hear the threat the fox was giving, but he could hear Crow, yelling at his partner to sit down.

The tunnel came peaked over the horizon quickly. The clock was ticking down to the last few seconds to midnight. His screen released an alarm clock like noise just as they entered the pipeline. The pipe was clean, cleared from any sign of trash.

"This'll be the perfect place to test out my new deck," Trudge said, activation something on his screen. The female voice installed on Yusei's runner made itself known.

"Duel mode engaged. Speed World field spell activated."

"Well, this isn't good," Yusei growled in frustration.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Crow shouted. Trudge and Yusei drew their cards and their Life Points increased to 4000.

"I'll start things off with Gate Blocker in defense position."Instead of materializing on Trudge's field, the yellow and white shards gathered in front of Yusei. The monster looked like a large slab of concrete with a single eye, staring right at the Satellite. 2000 defense points slid onto the visor of their helmets. "Now, I'll lay one card down and end my turn."

"My turn." Yusei drew a card and Trudge's speed counters increased, expecting his own to do the same. They didn't. "What the..?"

"Hey, Yusei," Crow called. "Why didn't your counters go up?"

"That would be Gate Blocker's ability," Trudge interrupted. "You're not getting out of here Satellite. Even if you do, it's a one way trip to the Facility. I'll make sure of it. Who knows? Maybe that mutt of your's will get adopted by a _real_ owner, someone who could take care of it better. Don't worry Crow, you'll be there, too."

Yusei stayed silent, ignoring the threats. _Just keep going_ , he thought. _Remember who you're doing this for, who you're trying to give a better life._

"I summon Speed Warrior." The monster came to life on the field, its 900 attack points doubling with the appearance. Ringer yipped a greeting at the hologram, like it was an old friend.

"Ha!" His opponent taunted. "That thing could never beat Gate Blocker. It's too weak." Yusei's ears rumbled with Ringer's growl. Didn't Trudge remember he lost last time they dueled? He glanced at his hand and caught a glimpse of Rally's card. The one he gifted him before he left.

"I special summon Turbo Booster." The yellow monster was on his other side. Two large cannons for hands. Atop his head, a traffic light on its side. "Now, Speed Warrior can attack!" The warrior followed his master's order, lunging at the blockage.

"You Satellites aren't that smart, are yah? Re-do the math, Yusei!"

"Not so fast, Trudge," Yusei spat the name, similar to a mouthful of venom. "I activate Turbo Booster's special ability. If one of my monsters battles one of your's, then it's destroyed." Yusei's Life Points took a hit, receiving 200 points of damage. Gate Blocker shattered, breaking into those yellow and white pieces. "Thanks, Rally," Yusei whispered. Turbo Booster had, too, been destroyed due to its special effect.

" _That_ was your plan?" Trudge mocked, "You took 200 points of damage!"

"But your monster is gone," Crow injected.

"Try again," the officer growled. "I activate Broken Blocker from my hand. This allows me to summon two more Gate Blockers to my field because you destroyed one." The monsters appeared ahead of the red runner.

Wordlessly, Yusei threw two facedowns on his field, ending his turn and Speed Warrior's attack points dropped to their original 900. Ringer's throat rumbled close to Yusei's ear, almost deafening, surprising the duelist he could hear it over the sounds of the runners echoing in the pipeline.

"Come on, Yusei!" Rally's voice was clear in his ear. His friends were watching him from the beginning, but have kept quiet till now. "Speed up! You're not going to make it if you don't"

"Rally," Blitz argued. "He can't. Those Gate Blockers are slowing him down. Trudge is trying to make sure he doesn't get to the hatch by slowing him down." The next set of words were… colorful, to say the least. It wasn't something that surprised Yusei, Blitz swore at times, but that didn't stop Rally from shouting at the teen. Or trudge from continuing the duel.

"I summon Gonogo." The monster was large and black and round. It's yellow cone shaped nose pointed forward, but black and red eyes stared down at him and Ringer. "Now, attack Speed Warrior." Gonogo rolled at the warrior, crushing him instantly and taking a small bit out of Yusei's Life Points. Trudge chuckled and shouted to him, "There's no escape, Yusei. You're blocked on all sides."

Drawing a card, Yusei started his turn and stared down at his empty speed counter meter. "I summon Junk Synchron." In a bright blue light, his monster was ready to fight. It's white scarf flapped in the wind, orange hat placed on his head, both working together to cover most of its face. "Then, I activate Graceful Revival to bring back Speed Warrior." This earned a sound of excitement from Ringer as the monster entered the field. "Now, I tune my monsters to summon Junk Synchron!"

"Way to go, Yusei!" Crow shouted from next to him. Spark called out his own excitement. Through his helmet, Yusei could hear Rally, Blitz, Tank, and Nervin cheering. Junk Synchron hovered proudly next to his master's runner.

"Junk Synchron, attack Gonogo!" He jumped, kicking himself into the air and at the large cannon ball behind them. Slamming his fist into Gonogo's forehead, destroying it. Trudge's Life Points decreased to 3050, giving Yusei the lead.

"Ha! You're gonna have to try harder than that, Yusei," Trudge remarked. He drew a card. "I summon Jutte Fighter." The monster was a little man, about the size of Junk Synchron. Black hair tied in a tight bun at the back of his head. He wore a yellow robe, red vest buttoned over it, a pair of glasses pinching his nose. In hand, was what looked like a tuning fork, or some type of weapon. On his back was a large container.

"A tuner monster?" Crow awed.

"Yusei's not the only who can use synchros," Trudge chuckled. "I tune one of my Gate Blockers with Jutte Fighter to synchro summon Goyo Guardian!" His monster appeared in a bright light. He was skinny, but with all the layers Goyo Guardian wore, it was hard to tell. The weapon in hand was similar to Jutte Fighter's, this one had a long rope attached to the end. 2800 attack points made themselves known in the corner of their visors. "Now, attack Junk Warrior!"

Goyo Guardian followed the command, throwing the metal part of his weapon at the warrior. It struck Junk Warrior in his side and sent him to the graveyard, taking 300 Life Points with him. "I activate Goyo Guardian's special ability. Now, Junk Warrior is revived and brought on my side of the field."

Ringer winned in Yusei's ear. The fox didn't need words to speak his worry; Yusei's field was empty, wide open to an attack. "I activate the speed spell Sonic Buster. Since I have four speed counters, I can choose a monster on my field and inflict damage equal to half of that monster's attack points.," Trudge informed. "I pick Goyo Guardian." A pink beam came from the monster's chest, shining down on the red runner. Yusei groaned through clenched teeth. Ringer was unsure whether it was in pain or just frustration, but he placed his muzzle in the nook of his partner's neck.

Glancing at Yusei's disk, the fox notice the last card he set was activated. Slip Stream. If his opponent activates a speed spell while his speed counters are less than Yusei's, then by his Standby phase his counters increase to the amount his opponent has. Luckily, Trudge didn't seem notice.

"There's no hope for you, Yusei. You're from the Satellite. Scum like you don't belong anywhere," Trudge insulted. "There's no hope for your little escape plan."

"All you ever say is 'scum' over and over again," Crow threw behind him. "Don't you know any other words?" Spark gave his own insult, a low pitch bark ending with a growl.

"Hey, Crow, how about you shut up and let Yusei do all the talking?" It sound more like a suggestion than a question. Trudge activated his speed spell again, making Yusei's Life Points drop to 50. Yusei drew a card, starting his turn.

"I summon Nitro Synchron." The small monster looked like a nitro tank. Scratch that, is a nitro tank. The only difference was the large yellow clown feet and gloved hands. At first glance, one could even mistaken it for a helium tank used by clowns, the pink designs and the face.

"What are you up to, Yusei?" Trudge called. "You can't synchro summon."

"That's why I'm activating the speed spell Dash Pilfer." The officer eyes widened in shock. _Guess he, still, didn't notice his Slip Stream card._ "Now, I can choose a defense position monster on your side of the field. Come on back, Junk Warrior." The chosen monster jumped from Trudge's field and to Yusei's. Ringer gave a small, muffled bark.

"How? You have no speed counters." Trudge stayed silent, most likely checking Yusei's graveyard for what gave him those five speed counters. "Slip Stream!" Yusei heard a long pause, then Trudge's runner trying to catch up to him. "You're not going to make it to that hatch, Yusei. I'm going to make sure of that."

"That's what you keep say," Yusei commented. "I tune my Junk Warrior with Nitro Synchron to synchro summon Nitro Warrior!" Ringer released a howl, knowing his partner was going to win with this move. "Now, since I activated a speed spell this turn, Nitro Warrior gains an extra 1000 attack points." The large, green and rock monster roared, attack points rising to 3800. "Say goodbye to Goyo Guardian."

Nitro Warrior kicked off, flying towards Trudge's monster, and shattered it. 1000 points of damage was dealt to the officer, bringing him down to 2050. "That's not Nitro Warrior's only effect. I can switch one of your defense monsters to attack mode and attack again."

Gate Blocker faded to its original blue and brown, its red eye staring down at the duelist's runner. Its attention was turned to Nitro Warrior, who targeted the concrete slab. The warrior punched the wall and cracked it. It grew bigger, casing the monster in a web of cracks in varying sizes. Shattering, Trudge's Life Points plumettes to 0.

So did the timer.

Their thirty minutes were up. The maintenance hatch door slowly lowered, trash pouring down the large tunnel. Yusei glanced at Crow, whose face was lifted in a look of fear. Ringer whimpered in Yusei's ear and pressed himself to the duelist's back. Both duelists vered and swerved, avoiding any and all trash coming their way.

Trudge had cried out, lost in the wave of trash and recycled electronics. Yusei watched the door disappear behind the wave. He hit the acceleration, making it through. Crow did the same, tilting his bike a bit to make it through just as it closed.

They sped through the maintenance tunnel, making it to the city in a few minutes. Yusei had taken the lead, speeding ahead of Crow. He couldn't see them, but Yusei could hear Crow and Spark howl in glee over the sounds of their runners. Ringer even let a short bark out, being mindful of Yusei's ears.

The howling got louder as a dim light was able to be seen at the end of the darkness. Even, Yusei smiled at the sight. They exploded out, landing on the road and turning to a stop. Crow had done the same, glancing at Yusei with big, happy grey eyes.

It wasn't a few seconds later, did they hear someone shout their names. The voice was familiar, to say the least. They look up, a highway just above their location and a person looking down upon them. Blonde hair reflecting the highway lights that shown down. His outfit was white, almost too white to look at. Jack.

Next to him, a familiar orange and yellow fox. Tail fluffy and wrapped around its orange paws. The yellow lock on its head curling and messy. Dark blue eyes glanced at Ringer and Spark like they were old friends. It was Jack's partner, Celeste.

Jack laughed and said, "It's been a while."


	9. Chapter 8

"How long has it been?" Jack asked. He stayed on the highway, staring down at his 'old friends'.

"Two years," Yusei replied. Ringer jumped down from his seat, stretching his legs from the long wait. Jack had hummed a thought, staying where he was.

"Built a nice duel runner there." Jack was just trying to create small talk, probably trying to stall for time, for Sector Security to show up. Of course, he was falling for it.

"You're the one that took the last one," Crow growled, fist clenched and shaking. Spark gave his own, giving short barks and growls to voice his anger. Celeste had jumped at a certain bark, standing on all fours and giving a low, deep growl. She was quickly silenced, her partner giving a short snap. Crow shut Spark up, clamping a hand around his muzzle, the other arm wrapped around the fox's shoulders.

"Well, a king never lets a chance slip through his fingers," Jack chuckled. This received another series of protests from Spark, muffled by Crow's hand. Yusei didn't bother stopping Ringer from shouting out, they all were mad.

"Where is it?" The words slipped passed his lips before he could stop them. True, he wanted to know what happened to his first runner, but he had a feeling that made his stomach burn with rage.

"Well," Jack started with a sad, apologetic tone. "It's obviously, broken." Crow snapped, Spark's turn to hold his partner back.

"Why you…" Crown ground out. He lunged forward, off his bike. Spark did the same and grabbed the back of the young duelist's yellow shirt. The sound of fabric tearing reached everyone's ears. Spark seemed to notice, yanking Crow back and onto the ground. He stayed seated, his fingertips stinging slightly from the fall. Luckily, his gloves took almost all of the damage.

"Where are they, Jack?" Yusei asked, his fist shaking. Oh, how much he wanted to sock the world champ in the jaw, but he wouldn't let his anger get the best of him. Right now, he needed to know if he brought their cards.

Jack reached into his deck pouch and pulled out two cards, holding them up for the two to see. Stardust Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon. He threw Stardust back to Yusei, keeping Blackwing for himself. Yusei stared down at the card, thoughts buzzing in his mind. Only one calling out louder than the others: _Why doesn't this feel right?_

Ringer whined next to him, nosing his hand. Yusei gave an apologetic glance to the large red eyes of his partner. "Yusei?" Crow asked, confused about what his friend was thinking. His tone changed, eyes wide and jaw-dropping, when Yusei threw the card back.

"I'll get it back in a duel," Yusei suggested. "Bet you're thinking the same thing, Jack." The blonde smiled, closing his eyes and chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He mounted on his runner, a large, white wheel with him seated in the center. Celeste jumped on, seating herself behind Jack. "I know where we can go." Jack started his runner and sped down the highway. Yusei glanced at Crow, who slowly pulled up next to Yusei. They followed Jack down the highway and listened to him talk about New Domino City.

"What do you think, Crow? Yusei?" Jack had said. "It's quite the step up from the Satellite. Don't worry, if you get homesick, there should be a nice dumpster around here for you to play in." Yusei didn't say anything, choosing to watch the city's lights as they passed by. It was a beautiful sight, the lights twinkling like the stars in the sky, but he knew these weren't stars. No, these small lights were the ones he would sit and watch with Ringer at night when they were little.

"You know, as king, I have to defend my throne," Jack commented as they pulled into the Kiba Dome. They stop at a white line painted on the assault. Jack pulled out Stardust and Black Wing again, showing them to their owners. Black Wing was handed to Crow, who took it up in his hands like it was made of glass. Stardust was placed in Jack's deck. "You made a foolish choice, Yusei. Your chances of getting Stardust back are as good as gone."

Jack pulled his runner up to a white bracket. Yusei stayed back for a second. "Crow." The redhead's gaze tore away from Jack, Spark doing the same thing. "You try to find a way to the seats. You're not experienced with Turbo duels, yet."

Crow looked ready to protest, mouth open to start the argument, then closed it, knowing he would lose in an instant. "Can I, at least ride alongside?"

"Sure." Crow's atmosphere adopted a happier air at the news. Spark's purple eyes sparkled and gave a small yip, unable to contain his happiness.

"Hey, Yusei," Jack called, impatiently. "You know it's rude to keep a king waiting." Clicking his tongue to his teeth slightly, Yusei pulled his runner to another white bracket painted on the assault. Jack activated the field spell, Speed World, shrouding their field of vision in a blanket of tinted purple.

3…

2…

1…

Duel!

Both duelists pulled the accelerator, competing for the lead. Crow trailing behind. They drew their hands, ready to get started.

"Since you're the guest," Jack started. "I'll let you go first."

"Your loss," Yusei replied, drawing a card. He glanced at the new card in his hand. Quillbolt Hedgehog, a brown ball of fur with beady little eyes and nose, the large metal rods and bolts sticking out of the hair. It was the perfect way to start this duel. "I summon out Quillbolt Hedgehog!" The creature jumped out of a blue portal, ready for action with its 800 points protective blue layer.

"I remember that card!" Jack exclaimed, laughing at old memories. He drew a card, concluding Yusei's turn and increasing their speed counters. "Wasn't that the first card Ringer helped you find?"

"Yeah," he growled. Ringer barked in agreeance. "Just make your move." Yusei felt the suppressed anger bubble up, fighting to escape. It came in short bursts, mostly just in his tone. Ringer had, even, pressed a black nose to the nape of his neck, feeling the struggle in Yusei's core. A method the fox had learned when they were younger.

"Alright," Jack said. He paused. Then played a card, "I summon Mad Archfiend." It looked like a monster, something out of a child's nightmares. The monster was made out of bones, long pointed teeth appeared to hold its top section above its bottom. In the center was a human skull. Animal skulls for shoulder pads, a pair of long and dark green striped pants. "Attack, Quillbolt Hedgehog!" The teeth made quick work of the human skull, breaking it down into sharp shards. Then, spat them at the hedgehog. They stabbed Quillbolt, causing the small creature to cry out in pain and shatter.

That didn't stop the shards there. After smashing through his defense, they struck Yusei, taking 1000 points of damage and one speed counter. The duelist shielded his eyes, protecting his airways and eyes from the hologram cloud of dust.

"Hey, Yusei," Jack chuckled. "Don't you just love the view? It's even better with cheering fans chanting your name. Too bad it's something you'll never experience. The only people who would ever cheer you on are those loser friends of your's."

"Don't listen to him, Yusei," he heard Crow say from behind. He wasn't listening to Jack, didn't want to. Yusei drew a card and he regained his speed counter, his opponent's increased, too.

"I summon Junk Synchron." Yusei placed the monster card down on the field, calling the hologram to view. "Then, I activate the effect of Quillbolt Hedgehog." The little animal was summoned to the other side of Yusei's runner. "Now, I tune my hedgehog with Junk Synchron to summon… Junk Warrior!" The card was thrown onto the duel disk, forcing the monster to life. "Now, attack Jack's Mad Archfiend!" It shattered before the scream exited the monster's mouth. Jack's Life Points subtracted 500. Yusei's turn ended and Jack's started by the draw of a card, speed counters increasing by one.

"I'll summon Twin-Shield Defender," Jack shouted. The monster hid behind a tilted eye shaped shield, two blue tinted eyes staring at the duelist behind his master. Jack set a card on his disk, the silhouette of the card flashing onto the field for a second. "I end my turn."

Yusei heard the King chuckle to himself through the headset. "Just forget it, Yusei. You'll never win." The black-haired duelist didn't retaliate, drawing a card to start his turn. This, in turn, activated the field card.

"Sorry, Jack, but that's not going to happen. Come on out, Speed Warrior!" The speedster appeared in a blue light, shouting in excitement. "Due to Junk Warrior's effect, it gains attack equal to the attack of all level two or lower monsters I control." Yusei eyed the numbers on his visor as they increased to 3200. "Now, Speed Warrior, Attack Twin-Shield Defender."

The monster followed its master's command, lurching at the target and swinging at it with double the strength. Twin-Shield Defender cried out and shattered into shards of light. "Since you defeated my Defender," Jack said. "Your Junk Warrior's attack points are about to be cut down." Yusei cursed under his breath, watching his monster's attack drop.

"That doesn't matter," Yusei pointed out. "Junk Warrior can still attack you directly." The monster did as suggested, cutting Jack's Life Points to 1900 and taking a speed counter.

"Go, Yusei!" He heard Crow cheer, Spark barking happily.

"Don't celebrate too soon, Crow. I activate Spacegate." The card flipped over to show its illustration. "Now whenever your monsters attack during my battle phase, I get a Gate counter. During my Main Phase, I can send this card to the graveyard. Then, for each of the counters I had, I get to summon a monster from my deck with the level equal to that number."

Yusei's Battle Phase ended and Jack gained two Gate counters. At the same time, Speed Warrior's attack fell to its original amount. Yusei placed one card down, ending his turn and returning Junk Warrior's attack to 3200.

"My turn, then." Jack drew a card and Speed World activated again. "I'll start by activating the Speed Spell- Speed Fusion. This allows me to fuse the Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem in my hand to fusion summon Multiple Piece Golem." The monster was huge, towering over Yusei and Ringer with 2600 attack points. The fox leaned forward and rested his chest on Yusei's back, letting him know that he was still there. "Now, attack Speed Warrior."

The large golem roar and made a slow descent on the unknowing speedster, who was reduced to a pile of shards. "Sorry, Jack, but I activate Defense Draw to reduce the damage to zero and allows me to draw a card."

"That's fine, cause I'm activating Multiple Piece Golem's ability, sending it to my deck and special summon Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem." The two monsters stared Yusei down, seemingly fixated on the duelist. "Then, I activate Medium Piece Golem's special ability to summon Small Piece Golem." The piece of rock looked a bit too happy to be in a part of his destruction. "I summon Dark Resonator to the field and tune it to my Big Piece Golem to Synchro Summon… Red Dragon Archfiend!"

There was a mighty roar, followed by the summoning of the large dragon. Its scales were black and red. Two ebony horns sprouted from its head, sleek black tail barbed at the end. Black fingers stretched into wings, red skin stretched between and two ivory claws protruded from each wingtip.

Celeste barked and howled at the sight, excitement rushing through her small body. Jack smirked at the 3000 attack points. "Then, I'm activating the effect of Spacegate and summon Sinister Sprocket from my hand." A spindle glared at Yusei with a narrowed blue stare, a bike chain wrapped tightly around its frame.

"I don't like the look of this," Crow hummed. Yusei silently agreed with his friend. Ringer seemed to have a say, whining in his ear.

"You're right, Crow," Jack laughed. "This isn't good for Yusei, but great for me. I tune Small Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem with Sinister Sprocket to Synchro Summon… Stardust Dragon."

Yusei was left wide-eyed and with a stone in his stomach as he stared down his own beast. The one card that never betrayed him, was doing it against its will. The off-white and light blue scales sparkled like stars and the purple breast and shoulder pads were the space between. The paper-thin skin of the wings crumpled between the fingers.

"Can you feel it, Yusei?" Jack asked. "Does your soul tremble at the sight? Or should I call you a hapless clown who is merely afraid of the King and his dragons?" A high pitched whine covered Jack's laugh.

"Don't worry, Ringer," Yusei told the fox. "I'm getting Stardust back. I swear to it."

"You should have taken it when you had the chance," Jack chuckled, finishing his laughing. "You should know, this is the last time you'll ever see Stardust, again. You'll never beat the 'Master of Faster'."

Yusei drew a card to start his turn. The speed counters increased by one. "I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode." The warrior took a knee on the field, adopting a dark blue coloring. His shield was lowered, as well as his spear. "Then, I switch Junk Warrior into defense position." The metal man did the same. "One card face down ends my turn."

"You are just like your monsters, Yusei," Jack taunted, drawing a card. The speed counters increased. "I remember when you and your little friends use to get bullied for your lunch money. And what good did that get you? A black eye and an empty stomach."

"Just take your turn, Jack," Crow shouted. Now, it was his turn to let the anger bubble up.

"I'll be happy to. Red Dragon Archfiend, destroy Yusei's, Junk Warrior." The dragon roared and spat a stream of red at the warrior. He cried out and shattered. "Now, Red Archfiend's first effect activates, destroying all your monsters in defense mode." Shield Warrior left without a sound. "And guess what, Yusei? I'm going to attack you directly with your Stardust Dragon." The dragon roared and did what its King told him to. The bright stream of white light cut the duelist's Life Points down to 500 and subtracted two speed counters.

"Shake it off, Yus'. You can still beat him," Crow pipped. "He's just blowing hot air." A series of barks and yips agreed with the young duelist.

"Thanks, Crow. Spark." Yusei drew a card and their screens beeped. "I summon Sonic Chick in defense mode." The pink flightless bird chirped a greeting to Yusei's passenger, who returned it.

"Talk about the good old days," Jack commented. "It's like school all over, again. You're still hanging around chickens."

"At least, I know this chicken," Yusei spatted. "Won't double cross me and scurry away in the middle of the night." The blonde chuckled and started his turn, speed counters increasing.

"Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Sonic Chick." The beast did as told, but the bird's special ability activated. It was left untouched. Red Archfiend's special ability kicked in, swallowing the bird in a dome of fire.

"Not so fast, Jack." Yusei pressed a button on his runner, activating one of his set cards. "I activate Remote Revenge. By negating your dragon's effect, all monsters you control that are in attack mode are destroyed."

"Then, I activate Stardust's ability," Jack said. "I'll fill you in since it's been a while. I can tribute Stardust Dragon and destroy one card on your field, kind of like how I had to step on you to get here. I chose your Remote Revenge." Stardust glowed brightly and disintegrated before Yusei's eyes into stars. His card did the same. "I'll place two cards face down. Then, I'll activate Stardust ability to bring him back." "Hey, Yusei. I have a question for you," Jack asked out of the blue. "If you win, what are you going to do? As soon as I win, I'm going to push this button here, calling Sector Security and ship you off to the Facility."

"Don't think it's over, yet." Yusei felt Ringer's eyes on him, curious as to what his partner had in store. "I activate Harmonia Mirror. Now, I can take control of one of your monsters. Welcome back, Stardust." The dragon shifted to his side of the field and gave a happy roar. He was right where he needed to be, where he belonged. The hologram stared down at the black haired duelist and his partner.

"I remember something you told me once and it's kind of stuck with me ever since. That you can't win with the cards alone." Ringer rested his head on Yusei's shoulder, providing warmth to him on this cool night. "At first, I didn't know what you meant. But, I figured it out after you left."

"Well, what was it then?" Jack mused. "What did I mean?"

"This." He jabbed a thumb over his heart. "The soul of a duelist who believes in all their cards. This is the very thing that got Stardust Dragon back on my side."

"Oh, yeah," Jack chide. "What makes you think that little memory is important now?"

"'Cause it's the very thing that will help me win this duel." Yusei drew a card and the speed counters increased. "How about we give Stardust a boost? I activate the speed spell Silver Contrails. This increases Stardust's attack points by 1000 during my battle phase. Stardust Dragon, attack Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend." The dragon roared, wings flaring open and chest puffing out. It threw its head back, getting ready for the attack.

It fired a beam of white, dusty- star light at its target. Just as it hit, Yusei felt his forearm throb, a painful heat rushing to the limb. Ringer whimpered in his ear, something harming him as well. The duelist could hear Jack and Celeste doing the same. Behind him, Crow tried comforting his partner even though Yusei could hear the slight strain in the redhead's voice.

"Don't celebrate too soon, Yusei." Jack seemed to recover faster than them. "I activate Synchro Deflector. Say farewell to Sonic Chick." The little bird squawked and shattered into star like pieces.

"I summon Ghost Gardna and end with a couple of face downs." The new monster was bee-like, with wing-like appendages and abdomen. Its upper half also had a human appearance to it complete with arms and eye slots cut into the white armor. Yusei didn't pay attention to his monsters for a moment, a risk on his part, but he had to take it.

"You okay, Ringer?" The fox yipped once as a 'yes', then buried his nose into Yusei's neck. He too was worried about his partner. "I'm fine." He was fine physically, as far as he knew. Mostly, just confused. Why was his arm hurting? Did Crow and Jack feel it? Why did their partners feel it?

"Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Stardust Dragon!" Jack's command snapped him out of his thoughts. Before the red beam could hit his beast, Yusei acted.

"I activate Ghost Gardna's special ability." The monster threw itself in front, protecting the dragon, but sacrificing itself. "Because Ghost Gardna was destroyed, his second ability kicks in." Red Archfiend's attack points dropped to 2000. "I activate my card Counterattack Beacon. This means Stardust gains and extra 500 attack points and Red Archfiend is forced to attack my dragon."

Yusei's arm throbbed with the attack, pulsing with something bigger than they knew. He was sure the others felt it. Ringer sure did, small whimpers escaping him. He could feel the metal of the fox's helmet dig into his back as he sought an escape. Yusei's partner was hurting, more than he was, and the fact he couldn't do anything bugged the duelist.

"Then, I play one of my face downs, Prideful Roar. With every Life Point I pay up, my dragon gains attack equal to it." 1000 Life Points were subtracted from Jack and added to his beast, summing its attack points to 3000. "Plus, during the battle phase, an extra 300 points are added." The attack hit Red Archfiend, bouncing off it without a scratch, and redirected to Stardust.

"Don't worry, Stardust. By removing Shield Warrior from my graveyard, I can protect my dragon." Yusei watched the attack draw closer to his dragon. The wind started picking up. A red wave of light divided the two duelists. Their arms throbbed more and gained a glow similar to the wave between them.

The wave swirled and wavered, trying to produce its natural form. It was soon able to with a screech. It was a red dragon.

"Jack, I think we should stop. Something's wrong."

"Oh, no, Yusei," Jack scolded. "You started this, I'm going to finish it."

"Jack you're insane!" Crow shouted. "Thinking of the duel and not what's happening." The blonde ignore their protests, even silencing Celeste when she uttered a bark of advice.

"I play the speed spell End of Storm," Jack growled with frustration.

"Alright, Jack." Yusei had to give in. "I activate Meteor Stream." The card flipped over, the winds becoming harsher and violent. Yusei covered his eyes as a bright light flared, right before an explosion erupted.

Their runners spun out of control, forcing them to crash. Yusei was thrown into the guard rails, curling over the duelist and his partner as if to protect them. Jack and Celeste were tossed close to the glass and seemed to be unharmed. Spark was nudging Crow with a black nose a little further away from the others.

Yusei woke to the cold, wet nose of his partner. He didn't have time to process what happened. "AH! It burns!" He glanced down at his arm. A harsh red glow was trying to make itself known through his glove and jacket sleeve. He peeled both fabrics back and gasped at the mark. An outline of a dragon head was clear. Ringer nosed his friend's hand, worried.

He glanced up. The yellow marking Ringer's had since he found the fox was glowing the same crimson color. Standing, Yusei looked around.

"Yusei," he heard Jack call. "So this isn't a weird dream." The black haired duelist stared at his opponent's arm. It, too, had adopted the red glow. Celeste limped next to her partner. "Where's Crow?"

"Right here," came a weak call. The red looked tired, blood dripped from a cut on his shoulder. Spark was glued to his side and offered worried glances every chance he had. "You guys okay?" They examined themselves and their passengers. Other than the glowing marks on their arms and Crow's cut, they were fine. Well, if you count whiplash as 'fine'.

They let their gazes wander around the dueling arena. The first thing they notice was the absence of that dragon. The next was how dark everything was. Did they cause the blackout? Lastly, was the sound of Sector Security sirens coming closer.

"Crow," The teen turned to Yusei. "Grab Spark and hide."

"What! Why?"

"I don't think you could last another round in the Facility," Jack added. "Or Spark. You do remember last time, right?" Crow looked ready to protest, but his expression softens at the reminder. "I'll take care of your runner." Crow nodded and left. Once gone, Jack headed to the black and yellow runner, stopping to growl something at Yusei, "Don't think this is over."

Lights surrounded the duelist and the black fox, their glows now gone. An authoritarian voice over a speaker shouted at him. "This is Sector Police, put your hands up."

* * *

 **Hey, everyone. I know it's been a really long time since I've updated this. Hope you've liked this nice, long chapter. R &R**


	10. Chapter 9

The lights were too bright. They pricked at his eyes and left him with a headache. More like a migraine. Yusei tried leaning forward, as far as the handcuffs would allow him, to block the spotlights. There was a man behind a podium, but couldn't see what he looked like all that well. The room he was being presented in was bare of anyone else, other than the two guards standing on either side of him.

Ringer was leashed and forced to sit next to one of the guards, muzzle too tight around his mouth. Occasionally, he tried reaching for the duelist then the leash would be tugged harshly.

"Yusei Fudo," the judge bellowed. "Look at him, he's just a boy. Officers are becoming too strict, these days." He inspected the file on his desk. "Let's see what happened. Turbo Dueling without a license, malicious mischief- Hello, entering New Domino City without a permit! Well, we'll have to do something about it. Satellite residents trespassing into the city is a serious offense. Your deck and runner will be confiscated and your… pet will be placed in the pound. You will be given a criminal mark and sentence one month in the Facility." He banged the table with a wooden mallet, ending his hearing.

The guard holding Ringer's leash yanked on the cord and started walking away. The fox whined and whimpered, clawing at the floor as he was dragged off. His howls were cut off with another tug. The door closed behind them.

The worry spiked in his chest as he watched the ordeal. When was he going to see his partner again? Is how Crow felt when he was shipped off to the Facility? He eyed a couple of machines being brought in and set up next to where he sat. One clamped around his head, the other had a small nozzle aimed at his face.

The attendants started it up and fired a small, red beam under his eye. It burned a bit, scaring his skin with the laser. He winced as it grazed over the soft spot under the eye. "This mark is a reminder you have no right to livelihood." Yusei bit back a growl as the machine was removed, but couldn't control the glare he sent the judge's way.

"Oh, come on," the man chuckled. "It won't be that bad. You get to do arts and crafts and meet colorful characters. Then, once your sentence- er, _vacation_ is over, you can return to the Satellite. Although, you can never duel or step foot in New Domino city, again."

The guards returned to the room and escorted him out the doors he watched Ringer get dragged through, and outside to a truck filled with other convicts. The atmosphere was depressing and grey, much like the metal sides of the truck. He sat at a window, one of the only places he could sit.

A few seconds later, the guards returned with another convict. This one was an older man, white hair sticking out all over the place and a yellow flag under his right eye. His old brown eyes sparkled with happiness. How could anyone be happy at a time like this? He leaped excitedly to the open spot next to Yusei and stared out the window. He turned around and caught the duelist's eye.

"I'm Yanagi," the old man stuck out a hand. Yusei tried to avoid the conversation, turning his head away. Yanagi found his eye again, and the teen stared out the window. "Wait a minute, I know you. You're the one they caught in the Kaiba Dome! I was in the neighborhood at the time. Did you make that Dragon appear and cause the blackout?"

The question caught Yusei's attention. "Wait, you saw that?"

"Who didn't!" The man exclaimed. "That thing was huge. How did you get a card like that? And the animal that was with you, where did you find it?" The worry settled deep in his stomach at the mention of his partner. He couldn't shake the feeling.

"He's my dueling partner, Ringer," he said quietly. He clutched a fist to his stomach, trying to wish the feeling away. "We've never really been apart like this before. I found him in a junkyard when I was little."

"Wow," Yanagi said, calming down at Yusei's sudden change of behavior. "That's a long time."

"Yeah," was the last thing said. The rest of the ride was shrouded in silence and the jingling of their handcuffs.

The truck rocked back and forth sickeningly and made Yusei's stomach churn faster and harder than what it had been doing since he saw Ringer get dragged away. He tried not to let it bother him, but he couldn't think. Was it nerves? Or was it something else?

It rocked into the Facility, a large building that shot up and narrowed as it reached for the stars. Large walls kept those outside from seeing in. The truck came to a halt and Yusei's stomach lurched. Someone tapped on the doors of the wagon and opened them up.

"Alright everyone," one of the guards dead-toned. "Time to get off." One by one they filed off the truck, stopping to get their marks scanned by the officer. Yusei swayed on his feet, stomach churning and bubbling and making him weak in the knees. He didn't move his left foot far enough and tripped over it, stumbling down the ramp and bumping into other convicts.

The guard scanned his mark while he tried to get a hold of his bearings. "Number G2MA2-88," he said. "An eighteen-year-old. Bet you wish you were back in the Satellite." The last few passengers got scanned in and they were led inside and to their cells. Yusei and Yanagi were led to the cell they shared and said a small warning about the other cellmates.

"Yippie!" Yanagi cheered. "Finally, I'm home!" He nuzzled the pillow on one of the beds, happily.

"Careful of Yanagi," their escort warned Yusei. "He's been here a few times. The food might be getting to him." With that, he left. Yusei watched Yanagi admire the center, gazing out the small window with large eyes.

"Hey, Yanagi." The old man removed himself from the ledge and sat on the bed. "How did you end up here, anyway?"

"Oh, I collect cards."

"But everyone does that." Yanagi shook his head and jumped from his seat.

"My cards are illegal. They were inspired by ancient magic relics." He held his hands together at his chest and gazed into an open space with wonder.

"That sounds cool," Yusei commented. "Wish I could see them," Yanagi responded by pulling cards out of his clothes. From his socks, his yellow vest and green shirt, even from his hair. He danced proudly at his brilliance.

"When you've been in here as long as I have," Yanagi reminded. "You learn to hide your cards. Dueling is the only thing that can keep you safe." Someone knocked on their door frame and they looked up, to see three inmates giving them a strange glare.

"We want to talk to you in the dueling field," the large man said. His turquoise hair was pulled atop of his head and shaped into spikes. Two yellow bars shaped his cheekbones and traveled off to the sides of his face. He was big, bigger than Yusei in height and weight it seemed. He didn't pay any mind to the goons behind the man. The two took the back as they headed there.

There were many other followers, all with different yellow marks under either eye or both. Their leader, the spikey man, stood tall with his shoulders back. "This is how things work around here. On the first day, everyone duels. If you do good, you get respect, but don't get cocky. See, I'm the best in this joint." Yanagi started dancing next to Yusei excitedly and pointed to the man.

"You're Bolt Tanner, a pro duelist!" He shouted, getting closer to the duelist and gazing up at him in admiration. "I'm your biggest fan. Can I have your autograph?"

"Yeah," Tanner chuckled. "But I only write in black and blue." Yusei watched the follows shift uncomfortably and whisper to themselves. He was only able to catch a few sentences.

"Geez, the old geezer won't take a hint."

"Yeah, Tanner does not like talking about the old days."

"You just earned yourself an opponent," Tanner sneered. "Me. Since you don't have a deck, we'll give you one of the reject decks." The old man laughed and snickered, receiving confused expressions from the goons.

"See," he giggled. "I smuggled my own deck. I call it my Treasure Deck." He started pulling his cards out from his clothes and danced excitedly. Yusei couldn't help, but chuckle lowly at the old man's antics. The old man did cheer him up about the whole situation and kept his mind off being separated from Ringer.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." He pulled his gaze away from Yanagi and to Tanner. The man was a few inches from his face, a way to threaten someone. "I asked where your deck is."

"Sorry," he said, hanging his head. "It's not with me."

"When I'm done with the old man, I'll try to get a deck together for you. Then, I can teach you a few things about dueling in this place." Yanagi pushed the two apart and smiled.

"Calm down," Yanagi said with a cocky attitude. "I know how things work around here. So, if I win, then I should be in charge."

"What!?" Tanner shouted, displeased with the demand.

"Let's start." They stepped onto the different sides of the dueling field. Yanagi danced saying, "I can't believe I get to duel Bolt Tanner."

"Hey, Gramps," Tanner shouted across the field. "Age before beauty." Yanagi snickered.

"I get it. I'm first." He drew a card. Yusei watched the bystanders look on with uneasy looks. "Oh, this one's a special one I got in the Mayan ruins; the Crystal Skull!" The monster was transparent and a human skull, harboring a blue defense position hue. As soon as it was the field, it inflicted 1000 points of damage to Yanagi. The crowd roared with laughter, even Tanner.

"Look at that!" One of them gasped between giggles. "That card is useless if it deals damage to the user."

"My turn," Tanner said. "I play Cost Down from my hand. This will make it easier for me to summon monsters, but it only works if I discard one card from my hand. Then, I summon Ushi Oni to the field." A yellow pot appeared on the field. From the pot, was a blue bull-like creature. Its ribs pierced the skin and stuck out like thorns. Its face was bone-like two horns grew from its head and tentacles from under that.

"Ushi Oni, attack the Crystal Skull."

"Wait, don't," Yanagi protested. "This is an ancient artifact!" The skull shattered into glass pieces, then turned to the familiar yellow shards. "I'll show you," he swore and drew a card. "This one is a true beauty. I summon the Ashoka Pillar." The pillar looked similar to an old lamp post that lights the roads. "Then, I equip it with Spirit Mask. Now, when Spirit Mask is destroyed, I have to send one card to the graveyard."

"Okay," Tanner started his turn and smiled. "I sacrifice Ushi Oni to summon Giant Ushi Oni." The monster held the top half of the original monster and added the legs of a spider. "Attack Ashoka Pillar."

"Please don't," Yanagi plead. "You're ruining pieces of history!" It was no use, the pillar started to crumble, then attacked Yanagi to take 2000 Life Points. The pillar's special ability. He sent a card from his hand to the Graveyard; Spirit Mask's effect.

"Now, I activate Giant Ushi Oni's effect." Tanner smiled at his near victory. "Since it destroyed your monster, he can attack you again." The monster roared to life and came down on the old man, taking the last 1000 points.

Yanagi dropped his cards, shocked at Tanner's brutal attitude. He lost and his deck disrespected. He rushed to pick up the cards and notice one further away from him. He tried to grab it, but Tanner placed a foot on it.

"You'll get the lowest rank for making a fool out of me," Tanner growled. He added his weight to the foot and loomed over the old duelist.

"Mr. Tanner," Yanagi begged. "I wasn't trying to make a fool out of you." He tugged on the card gently. He didn't want it to rip or get ruined. "I just wanted to show a great duelist like you my cards. My treasures. I love all of them. What's wrong with that? Sure, their effects aren't great, but it feels like the mysteries of humans shine through these cards. So, can you please move your foot."

Tanner didn't listen and twisted his foot on the card in an attempt to ruin it. Yusei suppressed a growl and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. He stopped what he was doing to turn to the teen, who swept a foot under Tanner and tripped him up. The card was safe and the 'pro duelist' landed on his butt. Yusei bent down and helped Yanagi pick up his cards.

"Can I borrow your cards?" he asked. They were amazing and intrigued him. Their true beauty. "I want to duel with your cards."

* * *

 **I know I had to delete this chapter. I forgot to add a huge chunk of the episode.**


	11. Chapter 10

_He was back in the Kaiba Dome. The dragon circling above his head, the arena empty of any people. Wasn't Yusei here? And Crow? More importantly, where was Celeste? The dragon roared and circled once more, opened its mouth and charged at him. He couldn't do anything but wait as he was-_

Jack felt his heart leap as he woke up from the dream, Celeste chirping in curiosity. She jumped onto the bed, despite the many times she had been told by Goodwin not to. Apparently, the old man doesn't like how her orange and yellow fur stuck to all the white and light colored furniture.

He stroked one of her warm ears and ran his fingers through the yellow flame shaped tuff on her head. She purred and nuzzled his hand with her nose, knowing it would bring comfort to her partner.

"Do you know how we got back, Celeste?" She shook her head. "Well, then. I guess we're going to pay a little visit to Goodwin." She licked his arm, then her shoulder with her birthmark. "Yeah, I'm going to ask about that. He has a few questions to answer."

Jack rolled out of bed, followed by Celeste. When he opened the door, he was greeted by Mina. The bluenette seemed shocked by his presence. "Mr. Atlas, good morning. Celeste."

"How long have I been here?" Jack asked, ignoring the greeting. It didn't fall on deaf ears. Celeste returned it with a bark.

"Since this morning. Mr. Goodwin brought you in," Mina replied. "You must be so upset that the duel didn't have a proper outcome. It was amazing. You had that Satellite- Yusei, was it?- on the ropes, but you both kept counterattacking and the power outage kept you from losing." She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, "I had him right where I wanted him." She looked startled and quickly bowing, apologizing. He walked passed her and headed for the man that might have some answers, ignoring Mina asking where he was going. Celeste was at his heels and Mina in tow.

He burst through the door of the office. He didn't expect to see the hologram of his duel last night, dragons frozen mid-attack. Lazar, a clown like man, and Zigzix, a hyperactive scientist, were studying the hologram and Goodwin listened. "This is the exact moment when the Ener-D reactor went crazy."

"What is the meaning of this?" Jack shouted. Goodwin was first to react by standing to his feet and grey hair falling over his ears and shoulders.

"Calm down, Jack." He stepped around his desk and to the front. "You broke many laws last night. You're lucky you didn't get caught. We are here to protect you, which is why I want you to tell me everything you know about the Crimson Dragon"

"Well." Jack ripped off his glove angered by what he was hearing. He showed his birthmark and pointed to Celeste. "Our birthmarks started to burn."

"That's the birthmark of the Crimson Dragon." Lazar and Zigzix looked shocked and started to bow, Mina did the same. "You are a Signer, Jack. You are part of a legend."

"Is that so?" Jack asked. "Then, tell me why Yusei and Ringer had one. Crow and Spark, too." Goodwin's eyes narrowed and he placed a white, gloved hand to his chin.

"We didn't see that coming," he commented. "Are you sure that is what you saw? There was a blackout, you could have mistaken it."

"I'm sure," Jack growled. "Yusei was destined for minimum wage and he didn't have that mark when I was in the Satellite. It must be a fake. Must have Crow roped into it. " He glanced at the projection of his duel when something caught his eye. The card Yusei played before the blackout. "Zoom in on that, right there." Zigzix did as told and enhanced the image. "That's… Meteor Stream." He would have lost, only holding on by 900 Life Points. That card would have taken 1000 from its target. Yusei did win.

"Don't worry about it, Jack." Goodwin scolded. "Nobody knows what happened that night except the people in this room and it will not leave be discussed outside."

"But, I was there," Jack growled lowly under his breath. "I know what happened." His fist closed, tightly with fingers digging into his hand. Celeste appeared to notice and licked his hand to help calm the teen. "And I'm going to make him pay. Where is, Yusei?"

"In the Facility," Goodwin answered. "Why?" Jack turned to leave commanding Celeste to follow, even though she was already at his heels. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going after Yusei. Where else?"

"I'm going to have to insist you stay, Jack" Goodwin warned. "You could ruin your reputation. If not that, then to learn about the people of the stars and where you come from." They were interrupted by the phone ringing. Jack turned from the doors and to Goodwin. "Yusei has started a duel in the Facility," he informed the teen. "Follow me." He tried stepping out of the room with Jack in tow but turned to see Celeste following as well. "Leave Celeste here."

"No," Jack snapped. "If this is about these marks she is coming with. If you haven't noticed, she has the same mark." The fox growled at Goodwin. She never really been comfortable with the man.

The director sighed and gave in. The pair followed Goodwin out of the room and down a few familiar halls. He turned down one Jack had never seen and to a door unfamiliar to him. That's when Goodwin started the explanation.

"You are part of something called the Crimson Dragon," he stated. "The mark you, and Celeste represent the wings of the dragon. This building, the Public Security Maintenance Bureau is only temporary. A disguise to live in society and protect them. All have sworn loyalty to the Iliaster, which is roughly three thousand years old. I, myself, is the 360th Guardian of the Star." Jack scoffs as they stop at a door with carvings.

"Am I supposed to be impressed or something?" Goodwin didn't say anything as the door was opened and Jack was greeted with an amazing sight. It was a tower in the middle of a large room, a stone gateway where they walk in. As he and Celeste walked in, they let their gaze wander curiously. They crossed the gateway and their marks lit up, no throbbing, burning or pain. In a reaction, the space around them started to glow. A large dragon curled in a circle surrounded the temple

"So, she is connected to this," Goodwin pointed out once he saw her red-winged mark made a soft glow. Turning back to the tower he started the lecture, again. "This is the tower which the people of stars used to bring themselves closer to them." He waved a hand and changed the scenery. They were back in the Incan times when the pillar was first built, floating about a mile above a small village.

"The people of the stars started this culture and built the Stairway to The Dragon Star." He pointed to the sky, to a little red dot high above them. "See that star? That's the Dragon Star. They worshipped this star like a God. Their ruler, the Star Dragon King passed his knowledge of the star down and each generation passed it down to the next." The atmosphere changed drastically to something more serious.

"One day, a great evil came down to the small village." Jack watched a black fog creep up on the civilization on all edges. "The King prayed to the Star for help. It responded by sending the Crimson Dragon to seal the evil away." The view below changed. This time they were standing over the Nazca lines. The lines cut deep into the stone and made large patterns. A monkey, a giant, a hummingbird, a whale, a lizard, and others among them including swirls and strange patterns.

"All these years, I have searched for the summoner of the Crimson Dragon to protect New Domino city once again. The Gods trapped in the Nazca lines are to be released soon," Goodwin warned. He watched Jack slide his sleeve up to stare at the birthmark. Celeste had stood on her back legs for a longer stretch. Jack shifted his gaze to the symbol on her shoulder.

"Okay," Jack said, finally. "So, I'm part of this big prophecy. What about Celeste? She has my mark, as well."

"I'm not sure," answered Goodwin. "I know the Crimson Dragon could travel to different realms. Maybe Celeste is from one of them."


	12. Chapter 11

Yusei stared down his opponent, Bolt Tanner. The man's followers started to whisper and snicker, saying things about Yanagi's deck and how Yusei wasn't going to win. He could feel Yanagi staring at him, brown eyes boring into his jacket. The question he was dying to ask brought forth, "Just, who are you?"

The teen could tell the old man was thinking about that dragon from last night. "How about we start the duel?" Tanner suggested, "I'll start things off by summoning Jirai Gumo in attack mode." An insect. He just had to have a duel involving an insect when Ringer was gone. He felt vulnerable without the fox there. The comforting growls of the fox echoed in his mind, a sort of fail-safe. He looked at his hand.

"Don't summon Crystal Skull," Yanagi warned. "It will cause 1000 points of damage when summoned."

"That's a great idea," Yusei smiled. "I summon Crystal skull to the field." Laughter roared from the crowd behind Tanner.

"He must be pretty stupid to do something like that," one of the laughed. Yusei ignored them easily.

"Next, I play Curse Reflection doll. This aims the damage I would have taken, back at you." The damage was absorbed into a flock of paper dolls and flew at Tanner. His Life Points decreased to 3000.

The crowd grew silent, taunts and comments held at bay. They didn't dare speak. The shock of what Yusei played forever playing in their minds. The silence stretched for a few minutes before someone shouted, "Brush it off, Tanner. The kid just got a lucky shot!"

Tanner's voice grew quiet and gold eyes calculating. He started his turn. "I sacrifice Jirai Gumo to summon Ushi Oni." The spider-like monster shattered, but the pieces didn't go far. The reassembled into the new monster. One used in the last battle.

"Why did he do that?" Yanagi asked Yusei. "Jirai Gumo has more attack than Ushi Oni." It was true. The large spider had 2200 attack while the genie bull had 2150. But Yusei knew what the ex-pro duelist was doing.

"I, then sacrifice Ushi Oni to summon Giant Ushi Oni." The monster appeared on the field in a flash of blue light. This was the monster that destroyed the old man. "Attack Crystal Skull." It fractured, lines moving up and around the holographic glass surface, and fell apart. Thankfully, the monster was in defense mode, so Yusei didn't take any of the 2600 point damage from the assault. "Now, Giant Ushi Oni's special ability activates." The monster crawled to Yusei and fired a shot of webbing at the duelist. The Life Point meter dropped to 1400.

"My turn," Yusei said, drawing a card. "I summon Ashoka Pillar." The convicts behind Tanner made an uproar or taunts and insults. One shout from Tanner quieted them. "Shut up!" They stared in shock and confusion. "This kid… reminds me of the past."

"I activate the spell Stonehenge from my hand." A half circle of grey stones appeared on the field. "Now, I can special summon Crystal Skull from my Graveyard." The skull came back and took another 1000 points, this time from Yusei. "I place one card down to end my turn."

"You're reminding me of my pro-days," Tanner said with a draw. "I dueled Jack Atlas and lost. Said I was a poor opponent and a weak duelist. Humiliated, I quit dueling professionally. But I couldn't stop dueling, no duelist can. I took up underground dueling, starting winning too. That's when it went downhill. The drugs, the alcohol. That's how I ended up here."

Tanner's followers started to whisper things to each other, nothing Yusei could catch. "I activate my face down." A colorfully painted pillar grew on the field. "The spell card Totem Pole can negate three attacks."

"I activate my own face down, Spiderweb Castle." Giant Ushi Oni leaped into the air and started string its webbing from the ceiling and to the ground. It created 3D structures and pillars to build up the small tower that made the castle. "Now, if you attack with a monster, its attack will be cut in half. Also, I can choose to send this card to the Graveyard. By doing so, I can select one monster on my field to attack you directly for one turn. I'll save that ability for my next turn so Giant Ushi Oni can attack you directly." He set down a card to end his turn.

"I will win," Yusei concluded. "And show you what respect really means." Tanner scoffed. The black haired duelist ignored him and closed his eyes. He needed to believe in Yanagi's cards, their trust in him was going to help him draw the card he needs. Whatever doubts Yusei had were chased away by Ringer's echoed, encouraging bark.

He drew a card. It was Piri Reis Map. This was perfect, now he can remove a monster with zero attack points from his deck to his hand. The only cost? He had to pay half his Life Points when he summons it.

"I activate Piri Reis Map from my hand." Behind him, a large map shielded Yanagi's view from the duel. "I'm going to pull Cabrera Stone from my deck to my hand. Then, I'm going to summon it to the field." The spell's second effect activated, taking 200 of Yusei's Life Points. "Now, that I have Ashoka Pillar, Crystal Skull, and Cabrera Stone on the field, I can activate Triangle O. This destroys all cards on my field and any effect damage I would have taken gets directed back at you."

The artifacts crumbled with age, time sped up. They were flung across the room and at Tanner. The pieces slammed into the larger duelist and diminished his Life Points. As the fragments hit Tanner, he fell and landed on his backside. Yusei had won.

It took a few seconds for anyone to move. Yanagi was the first and chose to jump on Yusei, thanking him with hugs and excitement. Tanner's followers rushed to the fallen duelist's side. He stood and made his way over to Yusei.

"I never caught your name," he stated. He stuck out a hand.

"I'm Yusei and this is-" He glanced to his side, expecting to see his black and yellow-haired partner. The sloshing in his stomach started again. When was he going to see him? "Sorry. This is Yanagi." The old man was dancing happily, holding his deck close.

"Sorry for stepping on your cards," Tanner said to Yanagi. Then turned back to Yusei. "I would like to take you to the pro world one of these days." Yusei took his hand.

"Ringer and I would like that," Yusei replied with a small smile.

"Who's Ringer?" Tanner asked. Yusei didn't get to reply. Two guards entered the room, tall and threatening.

"Yusei Fudo," one said. "The chief wants to see you."


	13. Chapter 12

"You have a match today, Mr. Atlas," Mina informed. "You're dueling Mr. Pace." The young lady has been trying to cheer up Jack all morning, informing him of important events coming up and matches that were planned. He hadn't spoke a word to her, or to his partner.

Celeste had pawed at the teen's pant leg and followed close by him wherever he went. She even tried getting him to eat, nosing peas onto a fork and giving him the 'sad eyes' she use to give him when they were little.

"What do I look like to you, Mina?" Jack asked finally. He turned his eyes from the window and to Celeste. The fox stood on her back legs in an attempt to reach Jack's eye level.

"Unquestionable, like the King of-"

"I'm not," Jack interrupted. "I lost that title when I lost to Yusei. I am no king." Mina stay silent for a long while and watched Jack ease Celeste back down.

"You should be king," she whispered.

"Should be," Jack scoffed. He glared out the window. The sound of Mina's retreating heel taps let him know he and Celeste were alone. "Does this make me 'the clown'?" He heard his partner whimper in concern. She was getting worried about Jack.

A few hours later, he was in his runner's garage watching Celeste dance and play with her flames. They may be teens, but the large fox loved to play before a match. She even created little dance routines and performed them for Jack whenever he was upset or down.

When Celeste was engulfed into that bright light and changed forever, she was able to do things. Create fire with a breath or with a swish of her tail. The first time they found out, she had burned Jack's hand. There was no scar, nothing permanent, but she still felt bad about it sometimes.

It was a simple accident. They were on their way home from Martha's, Yusei had been at another house helping with someone with something. Jack wasn't listening. Celeste and him were only focused on cleaning and making house repairs. At the time of the accident, Jack dropped a cleaning rag and the fox picked it up in an attempt to help. She handed it to the duelist, not knowing she ignited it. Just a tiny ember, not enough to start a fire, but hot enough to stay lit and burn someone.

Jack accepted the rag and used it to wash a window, the red fabric folding over his hand and pressing the ember to his hand. He yelped and dropped the rag, jumping back. Jack stumbled and fell, Celeste rushing to his side to help. She noticed his hand and lapped at the wound. The small boil started to bubble more with each lick of her tongue, the fair skin sizzling and fizzing under the touch.

He ended up being fine, but Celeste on the other hand became skittish. She kept her distance from the teen and chose to stay home when he went to help Martha or someone else. One day, he didn't go anywhere. It was just him and Celeste in their little rundown home. He used their time alone to help her with her abilities and show her he was fine. Since then, she had had been careful with her fire and practiced everyday.

Celeste even decorates her fur with lit embers for important events and gatherings.

Someone knocked on the door of the garage. Blue hair poked out of the door along with a pair of gold eyes. "It's time, Mr. Atlas," Mina said. Jack thanked her and gathered his deck. He mounted on his runner and waited for Celeste to hop on. Slipping on their helmets, they made a slow roll to their exit. He pushed the accelerator and launched themselves out onto the track.

The crowd cheered his name and words of encouragement. He didn't care, he wasn't their King. No, he was lock away in the Facility. He didn't care that his opponent was Hunter Pace, the King before him.

"You ready to lose," the strange man asked Jack. He didn't say anything, just took in Hunter's appearance. The studded leather jacket and bird skull helmet to the dark shades he wore all the time. Celeste growled at the man. "Oh, I'm so scared," Hunter mocked. "What are you going to do when you loose? Sick your mutt on me?" He bellowed a laughter, insane and unstable.

"Are you ready, people?" the announcer asked enthusiastically. "Duelists, start your Speed World field spells." They pressed the button and their world was shrouded in a blanket of purple tint. The timmer started, beeping down to the start of their duel. The loudest beep and, "They're off!"

"I'll start things off," Jack said as he drew a card. "I summon Dark Resonator and place two face downs." The monster was 'faceless', only its glowing red eyes and sharp teeth visible through the dark space under the skull like mask. The rest of its body was hidden under a dark blue cloak and a red cape. In its hands, was a tuning fork and a rubber mallet.

"What? You intimidated by me?" asked Hunter. The effects of Speed World activated and they gain one speed counter. "I send Speed Conductor from my hand to the Graveyard, thanks to its special ability, and special summon two Burning Skull Heads from my hand." Two skulls appeared on the field, each burning with 1000 attack points and a blue tint of defense position.

"Now the effect of my Burning Skull Heads is activated. Because I special summoned them from my hand, I can hit you with 1000 points of damage for each one I summoned." The skulls flew at Jack and phased through the duelist and his partner. He cried out and received a wet nose to the neck in encouragement. His Life Points were half of what Hunter had and his speed counters were now gone.

"I sacrifice my Burning Skull Heads to bring out Skull Flame." The monster came at his master's command. "Iactivate the effect of my Skull Flame, bringing a Burning Skull Head to the field." The skull's effect kicked in, taking another 1000 of Jack's Life Points. "Hope you can turn this around this turn. I plan on using Skull Flame's second ability to bring one of my Burning Skull Heads from my Graveyard." He started laughing again. The announcer went crazy and started pumping the crowd up. Jack didn't listen.

Jack started his turn and Speed World activated. "I tribute Dark Resonator to summon Big Piece Golem." The monster gargled a cry. "I activate Reviela Gift to summon Dark Resonator back to the field. Then, two Gift Fiend Tokens get summoned to your side of the field." Two tadpole like creatures appeared next to Skull Flame. Their black slimy skin and orange under belly turned a blue tint, defense position.

"I tune my Big Piece Golem with Dark Resonator to summon Red Dragon Archfiend!" Celeste welcomed the beast with a howl. The Dragon drowned out her sound and the cheering crowd. "Attack Burning Skull Head!" The beast did as commanded, a dark red beam firing at the skull and shattering it like glass. Then, Red Archfiend's first effect kicked in, destroying the two tokens.

"I activate my face down." The card flipped over. "Lineage of Destruction. Since three defense position monsters were destroyed this turn, this card gives Red Archfiend three more chances to attack." It became a count down to Hunter's defeat.

"Attack his Skull Flame."

3600 Life Points left.

"Attack him directly."

600 Life Points left.

"Once more, Red Archfiend!"

Zero. Hunter's runner slowed to a complete halt, steam forcing its way out of the engine and into the duelist's face. Jack sped passed his opponent, making a victory lap. Celeste howled and barked, yipping and licking at his face. The crowd roared.

"Who's the master of Faster? The rule of Duel?" Jack screamed out to his fans. "That's right, it's me!" _I will get my title back, Yusei. Watch out._


	14. Chapter 13

"The chief wants to see you," the guard said. Yusei's gaze shifted between the two officers. Was this a routine check? If Yanagi and Tanner's concerned and confused expressions could tell anything, then that would be a 'no'.

"Careful, Yusei," Tanner warned. The ebony duelist nodded and stepped forward. The guards stayed behind him as they walked out. They went down a few different hallways and stopped at a door. It was faint, but Yusei could hear the sound of someone yelling.

The first guard opened the door with a key card and Yusei was grabbed, being held back from running over to Ringer. The fox was muzzled and the leash was choking him. The animal seemed to notice him, struggling becoming more like thrashing.

The large man in the room bellowed a laugh, a deep belly kind of laugh. This man must be the chief. His gut was larger than a watermelon and nose about the size of a pear. The man had a strange cut on his beard, arching twice and meeting in the middle. His skin was dark and his beady eyes darker.

"You must be Yusei," the man growled. "This mutt your pet?"

"His name is Ringer-" the teen was cut off by the man's awful breath. God, did he _ever_ brush his teeth?

"I'm Chief Armstrong," he declared. "I run this joint. So, I know everything about everyone. But the Big Man called and he says you're hiding something." Armstrong made his way behind Yusei, the guards moving away, and grabbed his arm. He forced it behind Yusei, twisting it painfully. The teen felt his glove and sleeve being pushed away when it struck him. They were looking for that mark. The one Ringer had.

"Leave Ringer out of this," Yusei shouted. The fox's movements went still, large red eyes pinning on him. "He has nothing to do with this."

"Is that so?" Armstrong asked. He lowered his foul breath to Yusei's ear and whispered, "Do you know what happens at pet shelters when they don't get adopted? They get put down. Do you know why pets don't get adopted? Because they're too weird looking, they're too old, they're too noisy. I'm going to take a guess and say that your little friend here wasn't going anywhere." Yusei was shoved hard and he stumbled, tripping over his feet as he almost fell to the floor.

"Search them thoroughly," the large man commanded. "Even if you see any kind of blemish or beauty mark, I want to hear about it." The officers nodded and watched Armstrong leave.

Yusei glanced down to Ringer. The fox looked scared, black ears pressed against his head and tail between his legs. He tried to reach out to his partner once and received a harsh tug on the leash, he whimpered when it cut into his skin.

"Let him go," Yusei growled. "You're hurting him," but his words fell on deaf ears as they began their search. The officers and scientists separate Ringer and Yusei, leading the teen to another room. They stripped him to his light blue boxers and led him to a machine, where they strapped him down to the metal surface.

It felt like an MRI, a metal table sliding into a large hollowed out cylinder. A red fanned beam passing over his tanned skin. He didn't struggle against the metal cuffs. When they're done, they would let him go and, maybe let Ringer come with him.

Wait. What was that? It was faint and maybe he didn't hear it. But it happened again; a scream muffled by soundproof walls. Yusei tried sitting up, to get a better ear. The steel cuffs sparked and arched with electricity. He cried out as the blue treads traveled up his limbs and through his torso.

It stopped after a few minutes, but the feeling of time was slowed for Yusei. The shock started again, this time hotter and sharper as it dug into his skin. His own screams drowned out the other's, which he chalked up to being Ringer's.

It happened a few more times, each getting worse and his screams louder. After the last one, the metal table was pulled out and raised to look Armstrong in the eye. Yusei didn't even notice when the man had walked back in. He wrapped his thick, sausage fingers into Yusei's black and yellow hair and gave it a sharp yank.

"Had enough, yet?" The teen answered with heavy pants, throat ripped raw from his cries. "I was hoping these tests would shock some sense into you. Who would have thought people from the Satellite could get a deck, let alone a duel runner. Those things should never be in a Satellite's possession. Including that mutt of your's." He released the hold on Yusei's hair and waved a hand for the officers to continue.

Over the next few hours, Yusei could hear Ringer's cries and sometimes drowned it out with his own. He never saw Ringer. It was dark when they were finished, the guards who oversaw the tests dragged him back to the cell Yanagi and he shared. His feet never met the ground once, not until he was thrown into the cell and the door closed behind him.

'What did they do to you?" Yanagi asked, helping Yusei sit up. The teen gasped for a bigger breath, lungs screaming for their pain to stop.

"Just-" He swallowed thickly and tried to cover his hoarse voice with a cough. "Just ran a few tests. Probably looking for that mark that appeared during my duel with Jack." Yanagi perked up and practically leaped into Yusei's lap.

"The Mark of the Crimson Dragon!" He shouted. Then, quickly covered his mouth and looked around. "You're a Signer, Yusei."

"A Signer? Wait do you mean the mark that's on Ringer's shoulder?"

"Ringer has one?" Yanagi asked. The teen nodded, voice still sore. "That means he's part of this. Did Jack have one?" Another nod. "You both are Signers," Yanagi said in astonishment.

"What does that mean?" The simple sentence sent Yusei into a fit of ragged coughs and gasps. That didn't help his sore throat but made it worse.

"I've only heard a little bit about the Crimson Dragon from my trip to South Africa," Yanagi said once the duelist's coughs subsided. "According to the People of the Stars, the Crimson Dragon was worshipped as a God and the people with the dragon's birthmarks were called Signers. Each Signer had a dragon of their own they controlled. They've changed over the years, but they're still the same dragons."

Yusei cleared his throat and tried to say something. It was scratchy and hurt but he managed to say, "Crow." A few more coughs cleared his vocal cords a bit more. "And Spark."

"Who's Crow and Spark? Are they friends of your's?" Yusei nodded. "Are they Signers?" Another nod. "There are five Signers all together, so there's only two who you don't know. Though, sometimes the Crimson Dragon would pick another. The legend doesn't say why." Yanagi leaned forward excitedly.

"You must have a dragon! Can I see it?" Yusei shook his head. He didn't have his deck. They confiscated it when they took him in. "Right, you don't have it." Yanagi pointed out. He deflated when he realized the little fact. "How about you get some rest," Yanagi suggested. "Might help with that throat of your's." Yusei nodded and yawned. He didn't realize how tired he was.

They crawled into their beds and slid under the covers. Within minutes, Yanagi's snores filled the small space and rattled the window bars. Yusei laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, thinking. Was he really part of this? That mark on Ringer's shoulder? How was he part of this?

Yusei rolled over and reached a hand down, finding only air. He forgot Ringer wasn't there. No, he was. At least his screams were. The fox's cries and pleas were unheard by those scientists. They bounced around in Yusei's skull and wouldn't fade away. It wasn't very loud when he first heard his partner's screams, but now it's like someone put a speaker on his head and played a recording on a loop. The volume on its highest setting.

The black-haired teen curled on his side and covered his ears, wishing someone to hit pause. The playlist was never turned off and Yusei didn't get a wink of sleep all night. He pulled himself out of bed, the loss of sleep never affecting him. It's not like he's pulled all-nighters before.

"All prisoners come to the meeting room for our special guest," Armstrong's voice growled over the speakers. The guards came to collect them and guided the two to the location. The place was crowded, but Yusei was able to pick out Tanner. Yusei tapped Yanagi on the shoulder, catching his attention, and led him over to the older duelist.

"Hey, Yusei," the turquoise-haired man greeted. "You look awful. What did they do to you?" Yusei was about to answer, but Yanagi interrupted.

"They were looking for Yusei's mark," the old man whispered. "The Mark of the Crimson Dragon."

"They did it to Ringer, too." Yusei's fist tightened, violet eyes glued to the ground. Tanner and Yanagi shared a worried glance at the reaction. Their gazes were turned from each other and to Armstrong, who was causing a ruckus.

"Attention!" He shouted. "Turn your eyes up here and give some respect to Director Goodwin."

"Thank you, Chief Armstrong," a man with grey hair said, taking his place at the podium. Yusei was staring at the man. Who noticed and caught his eye. "I just wanted to refresh everyone's' memories as to why we keep the Satellite and New Domino city separate." He stepped from behind the stand and started walking down the small aisle between the convicts. "Ever since the two split, a new hierarchy had formed and the balance was restored." He stopped next to Yusei and stared him down. "Crossing from one to the other throws off this balance and endangers their friends."

They kept eye contact for a couple of minutes. Until, Armstrong shouted for everyone to hear, "Alright everyone, back to your cells." Yusei broke the connection first and turned to leave with his friends. "Not you, Yusei. Goodwin wants to see you personally." He waved to Yanagi and Tanner to tell them to go ahead and he will be fine. Though, they didn't seem to believe it.

"Hello, Yusei," their speaker monotoned. "Jack is in the middle of a match right about now."

"What are you planning?" He snarled in a raspy tone. "Where's Ringer?"

"Ah. I see Armstrong didn't find your mark," Goodwin observed. "But I heard they did find something interesting about your partner. He has abilities similar to Celeste."

"Whatever you're planning," Yusei rasped. "You leave my friends out of this."

* * *

 **Hey, guys**

 **Hope you like this chapter. Please R &R!**


	15. Chapter 14

"I don't know what you're talking about," Goodwin contradicted. Yusei stared at the man with narrowed eyes unconvinced by his claim. He was planning something and he was going to figure it out. Armstrong said something to a couple of guards, an order of sorts because they started leading Yusei out of the meeting room and down a series of hallways. Each one getting closer to the top of the building and its center.

The walls changed from its pale, friendly yellow and stormy blue to a prison cell silver grey. They stopped at an unmarked, heavily bolted door. One guard gripped his upper arm, while the other undid the large lock and forced it open. Inside was bright with walls and floors the same metal coloring. Shoving him forward, Yusei saw more and heard more.

Convicts were shouting and throwing insults at the police, some even at Yusei. They reached through side-blinds at them as they passed. The ebony duelist eyed each dark blue-green door and counted each flight of stairs they climbed.

The guards stopped at an opened door and gave him a rough shove into the small, dimly lit room. Inside was another kid, a teen just a year younger than him. His hair was purple-blue color and grew to his shoulders, accompanied by a pair of dark brown eyes. Under his left eye was a wing-like criminal mark.

"Here's your new roommate," the guard wh shoved Yusei said. "Play nice." The kid smiled a fake one and waited for the men to leave before he started rambling.

"Hey, the name's Alex." His posture was welcoming and friendly as he spoke. "I was wondering if I could get the bottom bunk, I tend to roll around in my sleep and fall off the bed…" Yusei blocked the teen out, climbed the bunk ladder, and laid down. His head started pounding from the constant noise. He was just glad Ringer's screams weren't heard. Alex continued to ramble for a good ten minutes before mentioning the duel between him and Tanner. "I saw you beat that Tanner guy. It was amazing."

"Alex?" The teen stopped his blabbering for a second and stared up to the top bunk, to the sound of the weezed voice. "Can you keep it down? I'm starting to get a headache."

"Yusei?" The ebony propped himself up on an elbow and looked at the open door. Instantly, he recognized the messy, pale grey hair and small brown eyes. It was Yanagi. What was he doing here? "I knew it was you! Come on, Tanner's here, too."

The older teen climbed down and followed the old man to the center bridge where the ex pro-duelist was waiting patiently. The bridge stretched over the mile drop under them, welded tightly to either side of the hollow cylinder. "So. you're here, too." Tanner and Yusei clapped a hand together in a greeting.

"Yeah." Yusei swallowed and tried again with a clearer voice. "Where are we?"

"This is where they keep long-term inmates," Yanagi said, frantic and panicked. "We're not supposed to be here. I was getting out in a couple of months."

"I just hope the rumors aren't true," Tanner commented. "I heard Armstrong likes to abuse his power here." Their conversation was cut off by the shriek of the bolted metal door heard throughout the entire center. Shouts of guards quieted the inmates and some started to whisper. The commotion was only a floor or two up, but the three couldn't see much.

They turned to each other, Yanagi shrugged. They tried to continue the previous conversation. Their curiosity kept getting the better of them with quick glances. Yusei couldn't shake the tug at the back of his mind, telling him to get up there and see what was happening. Something wasn't quite right about the quietness of the center.

Yusei was knocked from his thoughts and the distraction from above when he was tackled to the floor. He felt a familiar weight on his back; four little feet holding the same weight evenly. It disappeared as quickly as it came and he was able to sit up. Two violet eyes stared into a pair of red.

"Ringer?" The fox pressed his forehead to Yusei's, whimpering. The duelist reached a hand out and placed it on his partner's neck, petting him. "I'm sorry. They shouldn't have done it to you. They were looking for the mark on me, not you. That won't happen again." They stayed there for a while, not knowing how long.

"So, this is Ringer," Yanagi questioned softly. He got to his knees, which popped with age. The old man placed a gentle hand on Ringer's shoulder and stroked the strangely shaped fur pattern. Ringer tensed under the hands. Only Yusei noticed. He calmed the fox with a thumb rubbed over the ring on his forehead.

"This is my partner." Yanagi stood with a little help from Tanner. The old man's age was starting to show through the kid like energy he contained. Ringer moved to sit next to Yusei's feet, pressing his side into the duelist's legs. Big cherry eyes stared at Tanner filled with curiosity and fear. "Ringer, this is Yanagi and Tanner. They've helped me with how things work around here."

"You're the one who beat me, Yusei." Tanner chuckled. "You're the one who taught me a few things about respect. We wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"It's true," Yanagi added. He turned to the black fox next to Yusei. "You have a great dueling partner, Ringer." He rubbed his muzzle on the duelist's pant leg and gave a happy, little yip.

"Alright people," a guard's voice rang out. "Back to your cells. It's lights out." The three said their 'good nights' and 'byes' and headed off to their cells. Yusei chuckled when he found out Yanagi and Tanner shared a bunk. That would be interesting. Ringer followed Yusei close by and accidentally stepped on his partner's feet a couple of times because of how close he was.

"What's that?" Alex asked when they entered their cell. "Why is it here?" Yusei didn't say anything, didn't want to. He helped Ringer to the top bunk and laid down with the fox. The soft 'purs' the fox made was the only sound that filled the small space.

Yusei was able to get a bit of sleep with an arm thrown over Ringer and nose buried in his fur. The fox's noises masked the screams in the mechanic's head. The fox sighed happily, slowly closing his red eyes and letting his breathing ease him to sleep, the bridge of his face fitting to Yusei's chest.

"You know," Alex said, waking Yusei up from the light sleep state he was in. "This place was made to make an example out of outsiders. I was put here because they said they were just sorting some things out and I would be out in a few weeks." He chuckled. "That was almost a year ago. I'll show you the real reason I wanted the bottom bunk."

Yusei leaned over the railing keeping him from falling off and over the sleeping bundle of black and yellow fur, trying not to wake him. The teen had lifted up his mattress and glanced up at the older. Under the pile of stuffing and springs, was a hole leading to the outside. "Took me six months to make, but I broke through the other day. Come on."

He disappeared into the darkness of the hole. As quiet as he could, Yusei made it down the narrow tunnel and out of the Facility. Alex was there staring at the moon, turning with a finger to his lips then pointing it up. He followed the appendage to the sky. Not a concrete ceiling or metal wall. It was the stars and moon looming above with face full and uncovered by shadow.

"The moon," Alex awed. "Isn't beautiful?" Yusei nodded, lost in the memory of when Ringer changed. The moon was full that night, similar to the face tonight. Crow had joined the group and Jack was still with them. Everyone was sleeping in the old building the called home at the time. Yusei and Ringer sat on the roof with eyes trained on the city across the water, the only kind of stars they could see. The moon was hidden behind a few dark clouds for most of the night.

They peeked out for a second, the dull rays hitting the pair below. The pup absorbed the glow in his fur and contained it. The light grew brighter with each passing second he stayed there. The light morphed and grew, ears stretching and rounding. The muzzle grew longer and the head oval-shaped, fluffy tail losing its dewdrop appearance and followed the pattern of the ears.

The light faded and left a black shape, light still present in the rings on the shoulders, hind legs, forehead, tail, and ears. Two bold, bloodshot eyes stayed on the moon above, entranced by its glow. Yusei could never forget the strength in those two red eyes.

"Tomorrow," Alex interrupted his memories. "I have a few friends who are going to get me out of here and jam the signal in the marks. Wanna come with? You could bring that… thing with you."

"Ringer," Yusei corrected. "And I won't leave without Yanagi and Tanner."

"Okay," Alex approved and started back to the tunnel. "But we gotta do it by eight tomorrow." They crawled back to their cramped room covered in cobwebs and the occasional spider. Quietly, they crawled into their beds and soon, Yusei could hear Alex's snores and heavy breathing from below.

Yusei laid on his side with an arm under his head and the other stroking the yellow mark on Ringer's shoulder. The Mark of the Crimson Dragon. How could he be part of this? He was just a teen from the Satellite looking to make an old friend pay for turning his back on them.

His eyes started to drop. Getting closer to staying shut with each blink. Yusei shut his eyes for the final time, not bothering to leave them open any longer.

* * *

Shouts and cries of pain, the signs of a scuffle were heard early the next morning. Converts starting waking up as the sounds got louder and moved to the small windows, looking for the source. Yusei was one of the first few to do this. His partner sat by his side, tilting head in curiosity.

His cellmate slept like a log and unaware of the things happening below them. Alex didn't stir until Yusei exclaimed, "Tanner." The teen hurried to the older's side to peek out. Ringer adopted a sort of panic and worry as he sat on his hind legs, front paws on the ledge and peered over.

Down on the main bridge, Armstrong's sausage fingers curled tightly around the pro-duelist's black shirt. Tanner didn't look all that great from where they stood, hanging limply from the Chief's meaty hand. Yusei's hands gripped the bars tighter. His knuckles were most certainly white under the brown work gloves.

"A knife was found in Mr. Bolt's cell this morning," Armstrong boomed and tossed the young man to the ground. "And everyone's sentence will be extended by one year until his accomplice comes forward." The long-term center erupted into chaos, shouts and insults and complaints were thrown his way. Some shouted about their sentences coming to an end soon.

"Shut up," the large man thundered. "None of you have freedom rights. The world doesn't need any of you. All you have is the misery of shadows to wallow in." He smiled and Yusei knew what was happening. Armstrong had them where he wanted, under his fat thumb and controlled by his abusive power. "If anyone has any complaints, speak up now." The smile widened, yellowing teeth showing malice.

"Yeah, I got something to say," Yusei's voice rung out over the last few voices. "No one in this world is unneeded. We both know Tanner never had a knife. He is a genuine duelist." Ringer barked with a shake at the end, a shake of fear for the large man.

"Well, I'm a duelist," Armstrong claimed. "Does that make me a fake? I say we duel, just you and me. That mutt of your's is to stay in that cell until the duel's over. If you win, I'll forget Bolt's crime and your sentence won't be extended. But, if I win-"

"I and Ringer will be put on lockdown, no one else," Yusei finished. The grin widened impossibly bigger.

"Alright," he agreed. "We'll duel here at eight-thirty tomorrow morning."

"That's fine." Yusei felt a hand roughly grab his shoulder and forced him to turn around. Alex's face was pinched in disbelief, mouth opened in protest.

"Yusei, if you do that-" before he could finish, Yusei turned to the window again as another shout rung out. Two guards dragged Yanagi over Tanner's limp form and to Armstrong.

"Look, Chief." They started pulling cards from their hiding spots, ignoring the pleas from the old man. "He's got his deck stashed everywhere." Yanagi started begging the man, stepping forward on his knees as the large man held up the deck.

"Please, don't take my cards," he pled. "They're my treasures. My life." The words went unheard and swatted away like flies. Armstrong confiscated Yanagi's cards and ordered the guards to take them to their cell. The doors finally unlocked and Ringer was the first one out, followed by his partner.

They rushed to the cell below, just one under Alex's and his. Yanagi and Tanner were tossed to the ground and left to soak in their embarrassment and pain. The fox skidded to a halt next to Tanner's head and nose the man's forehead. The man groaned and weakly pushed himself up with a little help from Yusei. Yanagi was already up, rubbing the knot forming on his head.

Tanner was worse close up, bruises quickly forming, his right eye swelling and red. Under his hairline, Yusei found a knot the size of a golf ball, wet with blood.

"Sorry, Yusei," Tanner apologized. "They took my deck." The teen shook his head.

"Nevermind that," Yusei said, helping him stay upright. Tanner swaying where he sat was a bit concerning and worried the black haired duelist. "Does your head hurt?" Tanner nodded slowly and his face turned green with the action. Ringer turned away and tried shielding his ears from the sounds of Tanner's stomach emptying itself onto the floor.

"Think I might have a concussion," Tanner commented with a chuckle. "Should have known when that one guard bashed my head into the wall." He wiped away the vomit clinging to his lips with a wrist. Yanagi helped the man to bed as Yusei disappeared into the growing crowd. Ringer stayed with the two for a few moments, listening to Alex's and Yusei's conversation while trying to keep the other inmates at bay.

"Armstrong set you up man. Yusei, how about we leave," Alex suggested. "Just you and me. Those three will just hold us back. Tanner would take forever to recover and the old man won't be able to keep up. That… thing with you is always worrying about everyone else." Ringer bit back a growl. He didn't like it when humans refer to him like that. Then a thought hit him and the growl dissolved in his stomach; If Yusei leaves him behind, he would be holding the duelist back.

"I'm staying, Alex." Ringer's ears shot up and his eyes turned passed the thinning crowd and to the small bit of his partner, he could see. Yusei was staring over Alex's shoulder as he spoke to Ringer.

"Come on," Alex persisted. "They don't owe you anything."

"I won't leave my friends behind to get ahead." Alex shifted and blocked Yusei's view from the fox. "And that 'thing' is my partner. Ringer stays with me whether you like it or not. He has been by my side since I was a kid."

"Whatever," Alex grumbled. "No one in this place has honor."

"If they duel me, they're my friend," Yusei stated. "If I leave without my friends, I won't truly be free." Ringer heard Alex scoffed and watched him roll his head, an exaggeration of an eye roll.

"Do whatever you want then," Alex fumed and stomped away, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like, "freaking hell." Yusei watched the teen left. Ringer approached the teen and tapped his hip with a paw. He kneeled down, rubbed a spot on the base of Ringer's ears to calm any doubt still lingering in the fox's head.

"Hey." The duelist's head swiveled behind him. It was a couple of the inmates. "You've really done it, now. A few of us want to have a chat on the main bridge. Bring your partner." Ringer and Yusei shared a glance of confusion and followed the small group. Ringer walked ahead of Yusei, hair on his back and neck standing in anticipation.

The metal straight away was filled with a good number of inmates. Half of them cleared a path for the duelist and his partner, sticking the pair in the middle of the crowd. One stepped forward.

"We wanted to thank you for standing up to Armstrong like that," he said. "Some of us wanted to pay you back. A duelist always has that one card you just couldn't let go." He handed a card to Yusei and stepped aside. Then someone else did, another and another. He lost count of how many.

"With everyone giving me one card, we can beat Armstrong." The convicts cheered and continued to hand him cards, apologizing for the weird smelling ones, until forty laid in Yusei's gloved hands. Yusei thanked them and the group dispersed, retreating back to the safety of their cells.

Yusei didn't go to his cell, but to Yanagi and Tanner's. The younger man sat on the bottom bunk watching the childlike man try, and fail to prove he could sleep in the top bunk with a smile. Tanner appeared to be at war with his eyelids, drowsy from the head injury.

"Hey, Yusei," Tanner greeted as he attempted to stand on wobbly legs. Ringer trotted to his side and stood on hind legs, placed two black paws on the man's shoulders and push him back onto the bed. "How are you going to beat Armstrong?"

"Some of the others gave me a card each." He held up the makeshift deck and showed it to the pro duelist. He shuffled through the deck. "I'm sure I can defeat Armstrong with them." Tanner didn't comment and handed the cards back to the teen.

"I don't know, Yusei," Tanner finally said. "It's just a jumble of cards. There's no strategy to it. Nothing."

"I know," Yusei sighed. "But I my faith in the cards will never waver."


	16. Chapter 15

The next morning, the teen stood at the door of his cell and waited. He ignored the pleas from his partner and they slowly died with realization. It wasn't going to work. Ringer wasn't allowed to go with Yusei. He wasn't allowed to stay by his side because Ringer didn't trust his opponent.

Through the tiny barred window, Yusei could watched a couple of guards unlock his door. They stood on either side of him as they escorted the duelist to the center of the building. Ringer tried small whimpers and whines again in hopes he would be heard.

"Ringer," was the only thing Yusei needed to say to get the fox to stop, to understand. Alex on the other hand stared at his back with a burning hatred.

Armstrong stood tall at the bridge, a smug grin on his face. "Morning, Yusei. How'd you and your partner sleep last night?"

"Fine," he replied. Armstrong's grin spread and chuckled silently.

"Good," he boomed. "'Cause it'll be the last good sleep you'll have in a long time. Since you have no deck, I win by default!" Chains clanged and rattled above, a cell door unlocked with a rattle of keys. A yelp rang out and the chains' sound rushed. Yusei turned at a particular pained bark. Ringer's muzzle was bound with a black cord, ankles shuffled chains behind him. Two guards led the fox downstairs to the stretch of metal they stood on.

"Hold on," Yusei shouted. He held up the thrown-together deck. "I have a deck." He couldn't help a small smile spread across his lips watching Armstrong's laughter cut off and expression change to shock.

"How?" he demanded. "Cards aren't allowed in this section of the Facility!"

"Clearly, you don't understand the amount of care a duelist puts into their deck," Yusei said with a grin. It quickly faded as he turned his attention to his chained partner. "What are you doing with Ringer? I thought he was to stay in our cell until the duel was over."

"Well," the fat man drawed. A smile about the same size as him stretched across the dark-skinned man's face. "I gave a call to my higher ups and they said if an animal was being put in lockdown, then they are placed in the pound. They have their own lockdown system there." Yusei bit back a growl as two more guards hurried over with duel disks. They strapped the dark colored machines to the duelists then a chain to the ground.

"What's with the chain?" He asked, watching the guards holding Ringer's muzzle leash tie it to the railing.

"This," Armstrong tapped the deck chamber in a thinking way of sorts. "Is just a way to make things a little more interesting. It'll just send a little tickle."

"What kind of tickle?" The large man didn't reply and inserted his deck into the machine on his forearm. Yusei did the same, their Life Points counting up to 4000 in no time. They drew their cards to start the duel. "I'll start things off." He glanced down at his hand and drew a new card to begin his turn. "I summon Great Phantom Thief in defense mode!"

One inmate called out excitedly, most likely the one who gave Yusei the card. The card's hologram was dressed in a long, dark blue-purple cape with a matching hat. Under it was a red shirt and a red pair of gloves.

"My turn!" Armstrong drew a card. "I summon Iron Chain Repairman." The image was big like its master. Two chains held up a pair of green work pants. White fighting bandages cut off the bottoms and its arms had large metal cuffs. The monster's head was covered in a red bandana, eyes shielded in yellow goggles. "Attack the Great Phantom Thief!" It swung the large metal hammer at the man on Yusei's field, crushing it instantly.

"Now, my monster's effect activates," Armstrong said. "Because my Repairman was able to send one of your monsters to the Graveyard, you get hit with 300 points of damage." The monster swung his hammer again, this time hitting the ground and sending a wave of air at Yusei. His points decreased.

The base of the chain's base crackled and popped with energy. Each link warmed with the build up of electricity and passed it to the next at a fast rate. The pit of his stomach got heavy with dread. Electricity arched in jagged skips, reaching for Yusei in a matter of seconds. He screamed, drowning Ringer's muffled whines and whimpers. It was over in a minute.

"See, both players are administered an electric shock when we take damage," Armstrong explained. He watched Yusei sway on his feet and his pained expression. "It's not likely the loser will live." The man set two cards onto the field and ended his turn.

Yusei scrunched his eyes tight, willing the headache, he now felt, to disperse. He drew a card without a word. "I summon The Kick Man to my field." The chubby little man held his fists at his face, ready to attack when needed. "Then, I'll activate Stim-Pack to increase his attack points." The zombie's attack increased to 2000. "Now, attack Iron Chain Repairman."

The monster did as his temporary master said and launched at the other. "Hold on," Armstrong called. "I activate one of my face downs: Soul Anchor. Now, my monster can't be destroyed during battle. However, I can't change its position." The Kick Man swiveled on his leg and used the other to land a well placed kick on his opponent's monster.

It stayed on the field, but Armstrong's Life Points decreased by 400. The chief's chain popped and crackled like Yusei's did, but grew weaker as it traveled up. Armstrong cried out, not in pain but in shock. The shout dissolved into a chuckle and the man's evil grin formed.

"Looks like mine is malfunctioning," he said with a few taps to the duel disk. Shouts and complaints landed at Armstrong's feet and they were brushed off. "My draw and I summon Iron Chain Snake." The monster hissed at Yusei and slithered around the field. "I activate its special ability and equip it to your Kick Man. Now his attack and defense is decreased by 800. How about my Repairman attack your Kick Man?"

The large man swung his hammer at Yusei's monster and shattered it and decreased his Life Points. The chain sparked and traveled to Yusei. He howled and held his burning arm to his chest where the organ inside pounded to be let out, for the pain to stop. When it did, the ebony duelist teetered and tried catching his breath.

"Now, my Repairman's effect activates and decreases your Life Pints even more." The chain crackle and sent another shock Yusei's way. This time he wasn't just breathless, his knees were weak and almost folded under him. The blood rushing through his ears pounded and muffled the chains restricting his partner as he struggled to get to Yusei.

"Then, the second effect of my Iron Chain Snake activates. Since the monster I equip it to has been destroyed, you have to send a card from your deck to your Graveyard for each level of the destroyed monster." Armstrong showed some mercy and waited for Yusei to send three cards to his Graveyard with chest heaving.

"Don't worry, Yusei," Armstrong snarled. "You'll go back to your hometown, after I end your life."

"I activate," Yusei gasped a failed attempt at easing the pain in his chest. "Nightmare Steelcage." An orb glowed softly above Yusei's head, a few thick metal frames came down and surrounded him. Thinner bars wrapped around the frames and protected him from anymore attacks. "With this… spell card, you can't… attack me and I can't attack...you. For two turns." The duelist set a card to end his turn.

Armstrong drew his turn. "I summon Iron Chain Snake. Then, activate my Repairman's second ability to summon another Iron Chain Snake from my Graveyard." The two monsters stood on either side of Iron Chain Repairman and hissed a promised threat.

"And I'll activate two spell cards; Paralyzing Chain and Poison Chain. Paralyzing Chain will take 300 points of damage each time you are forced to send cards from your deck to the Graveyard. If I don't attack during my turn, you have to send the same number of cards as the levels of my Iron Chain monsters. Lucky for you, I'm ending my turn."

Yusei heard Ringer growl under his muzzle followed by a slight whine of worry and the gentle pressure of red eyes. The human partner was forced to ignore him while sliding ten cards into his Graveyard and wait for the shock. His howl echoed about and made the many onlookers cringe or look away. He tried to catch his breath as 300 point were deducted.

He drew a card and placed three on the field. "I activate Psychic Cyclone," Armstrong interrupted. "I get to choose on of the face downs you just set and guess whether it's a spell or a trap. If I guess right, then I draw a card. If it's wrong, then you draw a card." Yusei watched through blurry, blue eyes as Armstrong pointed to a card and declare, "The one on the right is a trap."

The card flipped over and showed the answer; a trap, just as Armstrong guessed. The large man drew a card gleefully. Yusei didn't see the smile through the fuzz and placed a card face down on the field. Ringer yipped for his concern for the quiet duelist and shifted slightly, rattling the chains. He wasn't sure how much longer his partner would last and wondered how the teen was even standing, swaying on his feet with a dazed expression.

The dark colored man started his exchange with a draw. "I summon Iron Chain Blaster and skip my Battle Phase." Yusei silently pulled cards from his deck until there was six left and watched them get pulled into the Graveyard slot. This time, he bit back the noise of electricity coursing through his body and sucking more of his strength as his Life Points dropped to 2400. Each breath was getting harder to drag in, forcing his chest to extend to full capacity.

"By activating my Blaster's effect," Armstrong continued. "I can tribute one of my Iron Chain Snakes to inflict 800 points of damage directly to you." The snake was curled into a ball and stuffed inside the rough metal barrel. It was fired, breaking passed the black metal cage protecting Yusei and hitting the duelist. His points dropped to 1600. Voice sore and full of breath, coughed and choked on the pain and shock. Feet stumbled where he stood, but held his weight. "I activate Iron Chain Repairman's effect and bring my snake back to end my turn."

Yusei's move began when Nightmare Steelcage expired, the bars disappearing. "I play… Call of the Haunted to bring… Kickman back." Some shouts of excitement were heard from the inmates, the owner of the card ringing louder. "I activate… his ability to equip Axe of Despair… to him from the Graveyard." The zombie type monster snatched the weapon out of the air to increase its attack points to 2300. "Then, I summon Exiled Force to the field." A group of fighters, warriors with mismatched armor assembled to Kickman's right.

"Kickman, attack Armstrong's Iron Chain Snake." The monster obeyed and slashed the reptile in two. The chief's Life Points decreased to 2100, but there was no electricity. Yusei was about to call for Exiled Force to attack Armstrong's other Snake, but the Facility was shrouded in a blanket of darkness.

Everything fell silent for a short while. The convicts' voices started as whispers and slowly grew to more of shouts and questions. _Alex probably leaving by now._ Yusei thought, _The blackout must be a way to hide him. Hopefully I can but him some time with the duel._

Yusei took the time to switch the places of his face downs, Taunt and Battle Mania exchanging their places on the field. The cameras behind the duelist have been trained on his cards during the match so far.

The lights flickered back on after a few minutes and they continued their battle. "Exiled Force, take down Armstrong's Iron Chain Snake." The small army advanced, earning a warning hiss, and swarmed the monster. It shattered under the pokes and prods of the force's weapons. Armstrong's Life Points fell to 1900. His chain crackled and popped with energy, sparks flew as they electrocuted the chief. He cried out, more in shock than the pain.

Yanagi was heard scolding the man for acting, but the black haired duelist had other thoughts. The 'act' seemed a little too genuine to be fake. His suspicions were confirmed when a guard cleared his throat, two more behind him held one of the convicts.

"No," Yusei whispered. "Alex." The escape attempt failed. The smug expression on the teen's face told a different story.

"Hey," Armstrong called one of the guards over. His booming voice dropped to an unbelievably low level. "Cut the connection."

"We can't," the guard whispered back. "He did something and we can't it out." Alex chuckled, catching the attention of everyone on the field.

"You won't be able to," the purple haired teen said smugly. "And it's going to stay like that till the end of the match." The chief's face gained a red tint, veins probably popping out under his hat. "Besides, I'm pretty confident Yusei will win." He turned to Yusei and gave a quick glance to Ringer as he ignored Armstrong's ranting. "I'm sorry. You were right; I should never leave friends behind."

Yusei nodded an understanding. "I have a new condition. If I win, you forget what Alex has done. If you win, Alex gets put in lock down with me."

"Deal," the large man said with a grin. Then, drew a card to start his turn. "I activate Reload to send my hand back to my deck. Then, reshuffle and draw the same number of cards I had." He did the steps as he explained. "Now, I play Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your card on the left. It's Battle Mania, right?" The spell on Armstrong's field blasted a cone of air at the target, lifting it up in its winds and showing the large duelist which his choice was. He guessed wrong. "What? Taunt?"

Yusei gave a tired smile. "When the lights went out, I switched their places. I suspected you've been looking at my cards through the cameras behind me." He watched Armstrong's face melt into shock at the discovery of the little trick. "I activate Battle Mania. Now, all monsters are changed to attack position and can't change it. Plus, all monsters you control must attack if they're able." Ringer cheered him on with a muffled bark, the muzzle on his snout too tight to make a proper noise.

"Fine," Armstrong growled. "I summon Iron Chain Coil." The monster was human like with chain arms and small feet. The only problem was its type; it was a tuner monster. "I tune my Iron Chain Blaster with Iron Chain Coil to synchro summon Iron Chain Dragon." A roar shook the compound with its power. The dragon glared down at Yusei, 2500 attack points to back it up.

"My dragon's ability activates." Armstrong smirked and Yusei felt his stomach sink. "He gains 200 attack points for each Iron Chain monster in my Graveyard. Right now, I count five." The 2500 attack jumped to 3500. "How about we get revenge for that little trick you pulled? Iron Chain Dragon, attack The Kickman." The dragon roared and flapped its large, blue paper-like wings. The chains pierced into its shoulders rattling with the force.

The blast shattered The Kickman and the spell that brought him back. Yusei's Life Points dropped to 400. With the drop, another shock was administered and left Yusei staggering. Alex shouted his name in fear. Fear that he was on the edge of death. "Now, my dragon's second ability kicks in and forces you to send the same number of cards as the level of the monster I just destroyed. Since your Kickman was a level three monster, you have to send three cards to your Graveyard." The teen did as told, leaving one last card in the deck slot.

The chain popped with overloaded energy, cracking as it traveled up each link. His scream was silent, voice raw from the torture of the voltage, but was heard throughout the building. Everyone watched the duelist's knees give out, unable to hold his weight.

Alex tried pulling from the guards' grip, who held him back and tackled him to the ground. The teen struggled against the hands as they increased in numbers. Ringer watched with tears in his eyes. It couldn't happen again. It _shouldn't_ have happened again. He backed up and scratched at his muzzle, tearing it off. Then, howled Yusei's pain an his fear. He just got his partner back, he couldn't go through another night of listening to Yusei's screams.

Yusei had fallen to his hands, chest heaving. The copper-metallic taste in the back of his mouth surely wasn't good. Coughing a couple of times to clear it didn't help either. Deep red flecked the grey-blue floor was convincing enough. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry," Armstrong boomed. "I couldn't hear you. What did you say?" Yusei shakily got to his feet and drew the last card from his deck.

"Thank you," he rasped. "I summon Rubble King." The ground rumbled and pieces floated a few feet above the metal platform they stood on. A man shrouded in a purple cloak and its true identity hidden behind a mask. "Because of the amount of cards you sent to the Graveyard, I can activate Rubble King's special ability. It allows me to activate a trap from my hand." He covered his mouth and coughed. "I play Blasting The Ruins. Another reason to thank you for sending my entire deck to the Graveyard. If I have 30 or more cards in my Graveyard, I can inflict 3000 points of damage to you."

Rubble King commanded the rocks around him, throwing them passed Iron Chain Dragon at Armstrong. They smashed into the chief and knocking the last of his 1900 Life Points. The chain did the rest, knocking him to his behind. The holograms disappeared. The duel was over, Yusei won.

"Guards!" Armstrong growled. "Take Yusei into lockdown and ship his pet to the pound." The compound erupted into chaos, complaints about broken promises. Alex was the loudest. "I don't remember making any deals." The officers holding Ringer pulled his leash tighter and tried leading him to the exit. The fox wouldn't have it, thrashing each step of the way. Two more approached Yusei, metal cuffs in hand.

Someone cleared their throat causing the commotion to come to a halt. They all looked up the to bridge above. Rex Goodwin was glaring down in disappointment and anger, mostly pointed at Armstrong.

"Director Goodwin," Chief Armstrong said shocked. "I'm sorry. We're just trying to control these convicts. They're going into lockdown."

"I believe it is you who is leaving," Goodwin snarled. "The duel showed just how incapable you are of keeping things under control. You're fired." The man sputtered, stuck with no words as the officers released Alex and moved away from Yusei to drag Amstrong out.

Alex ignored the Director, choosing to help his friend. Yusei swayed on his feet with head spinning and coppery taste still present. Alex threw the teen's arm over his shoulder and helped him stand a little taller. Ringer wrestled with the chains still binding him to the officer. With one harsh glare from Goodwin, the chains clattered to the floor.

The fox rushed to his partner's side, but stopped at a strange smell. Nose twitching as he tried to find the source, red paint flecked the floor where Yusei had fallen. Fear gripped his chest and his paws couldn't move, they wouldn't listen to him. He yipped to Alex, fear stricken. The teen glanced down and the fear spread to him. The red paint was blood, deep red and strikes the feeling into the hearts of those who see it.

"Yusei?" The teen leaning on Alex coughed, the sound wet and worrying. "How about we get this duel disk off and you can lay down for a bit?" He nodded weakly. Alex made quick work, sliding it off and letting it fall to the floor. Yusei whispered something into Alex's ear, something that sounded a lot like, "... Deck…"

"What was that?"

"... The deck," Alex heard.

"What about it?"

"Owners." The simple word sent Yusei coughing and Ringer's worry to spike off the charts. The fox nosed his partner's limp hand in a way of showing his understanding. He pulled the cards from the duel disk and followed Yusei's shuffling feet. When they reached their cell, Ringer took off to find the cards' owners. It made it harder when the doors to the other cells opened and their residents poured out. They rushed to the cell Yusei and Alex shared.

Ringer turned and sprinted after the crowd, pushing to the front. He stood in the doorway with makeshift deck in mouth. One of the convicts thanked the fox and gently took the cards, passing it around to the owners to pick out their card.

"Is he going to be okay?" One asked. Ringer passed a glance to Alex helping his comrade lay down. He gave a hopeful yip. He really hoped Yusei was going to be okay. Most of the inmates started to leave, not really satisfied with the answer, but took it anyway. Yanagi and Tanner were the only ones left, clear worry written on their faces.

"Hey, Ringer," Yanagi greeted. "How are you?" The fox gave another glance to his partner. The teen was placed on Alex's bunk with an arm draped over his stomach and jacket balled into a pillow. Ringer slid his reds eyes back to the two at the door. Then gave a low, worried whine. "I bet he's going to be fine."

"Yeah," Tanner added. "Yusei's strong." Ringer nodded. He grew up with Yusei, the duelist would be fine. If only he could convince himself that.


	17. Chapter 16

It had been a couple of days since the duel with Chief Armstrong. Yusei was back on his feet within a day, the taste in the back of his throat had faded and weak knees gained strength. Goodwin showed again, this time to tell Ringer and Yusei about their release. The fox sat next to his partner as they said farewell to their new friends in the short term section of the building.

"Congrats, Yusei," Alex said, bending down to pet Ringer on the head. "If it wasn't for Goodwin showing up like he did, us three would have been on lockdown." The fox purred happily with the attention and the fact Alex didn't call him a 'thing'.

"We're going to miss you," Yanagi confessed. He reached into his robe, searching for something. "Here, I want you to have this. " The old man held a card out; Totem Pole.

"We can't take that," Yusei claimed. "This belongs in your Treasure deck." Ringer yipped in agreeance.

"No," Yanagi insisted. "You will have a better use for it than me. It belongs to you and Ringer." He forced it into Yusei's hand and smiled.

"The old man told me about your ride," Tanner said, holding out his Giant Ushi Oni card. "This card can help you get it back from the impound center. Take this card to a bar called Bootleg and order a glass of milk. Ask for a guy named Blister. He owes me a favor, anyway. He will know how to do it."

"Thank you," Yusei marveled. "All of you."

"Yusei Fudo," a voice asked. They turned to the guard behind them. "Follow me please." The teen nodded and waved to his friends as a final farewell, following the officer out. Ringer stayed close as they passed some of the questionable inmates, but a few from the long-term transfers cheered with thanks and reached to pet the fox or to shake Yusei's hand. The officer led them out of the building, to a desk where they signed his released papers, and practically shoved him out.

The night was cool and busy, bustling with car horns and loud people, nothing like the Satellite's icy cold and quiet. The pair stayed close through the crowded streets, Yusei's gloved hand wrapped gently around Ringer's ear as a way of staying together. Something they did when they were little and didn't want to separate in the swarm of kids at Martha's.

Their heads swiveled around as they looked for the bar Tanner told them about. It wasn't easy with the entire city lit up like a Christmas tree, but thanks to Ringer's keen eyes, and passing it a few times on accident, they found it. The words 'Bootleg' flashed in blue, ring around it a bright red. The colors created a dim light to see in the dark alley where the bar was hidden. Ringer illuminated the ring on his forehead to help the sign.

"Sorry, buddy." Yusei pointed to the small cardboard picture in the door window; no dogs allowed. The fox whined in disappointment. "Maybe they won't mind. You're not a dog." Ringer barked as they entered the bar. The place smelled strongly of booze and fried food. There were a couple customers occupying the tables close to the door. The counter, though, was empty, save for the Bartender whose back was towards them.

Ringer eyed the customers, taking in their criminal marks and every detail of their appearance as they made their way to an empty counter seat. His human partner took a seat, while he stood on hind legs to reach the counter surface. The man turned and scoffed.

"Are you kidding me?" He narrowed his eyes, scrunching the criminal marks under. "Why don't you go home, kid? And take your dog, too. Didn't you see the sign?"

"I'll take a glass of milk," Yusei requested. "And Ringer will have some water." He kept his head down to avoid the curious eyes of the people sitting behind them. Unfortunately, he didn't see the Bartender's furious glare burning holes into the teen's jacket. Guess it might have been a factor to why he was now staring into the face of pure hate and anger, collar of his tank-top balled in vein ridden hands. His partner bristling and baring his teeth.

"Are you pulling my leg?" Bartender growled, "I said get your dog-" He stopped and sent his gaze over Yusei's shoulder, to which Ringer followed. Two men sat at a table close, one bald the other a blonde. Both dressed in black suits and dark sunglasses, a wire attached to an earpiece. The Bartender released his grip on the teen, who patted Ringer's hair down to calm him.

Yusei dug Tanner's card from his pocket and slid it onto the counter. The spikey haired man's eyes widened. "I'm looking for someone named Blister. Know where we can find him?" The bartender placed a small glass of white liquid on the Giant Ushi Oni card and placed a small bowl of water on the floor for Ringer.

"You don't look for Blister," the skinny man remarked. "He finds you." Ringer licked at the bowl, keeping his red eyes on the men watching them. He let his tail brush up against the small of his partner's back, a little trick they taught themselves to warn the other of danger. Yusei chanced a glance behind to the men sitting nearby. "They with you?"

"No," the teen replied and let a hand dangle by the striped tail, telling his partner he saw. He downed the milk, placed the ceramic bowl on the counter, and grabbed the monster card before leaving.

They walked down the empty alley, looking for relief from the crowded sidewalks and a bit of quiet. The fox kept his ears trained on the men following them and gave small noises to alert his partner. Two short yips sounded down a wide alley, then a low growl warned of a third person.

The familiar sound of a Duel Runner's engine turning on caught their attention. Ringer's growl deepened, the fur on his back standing on end and the ring on his forehead lit up the alley near them. The engine revved a few times and tore out of the small, dark alley. As it sped, the driver grabbed Yusei and threw him over the back of the runner. Ringer barked frantically as he chased the dueling bike, leaping onto the back with claws dug into the metal frame.

His fur bristled, teeth bared in a threatening smile. "Calm down, Fido," the driver warned. "I'm helping you. Now, sit still. This device will jam the transmitter in your mark." The fox tilted his head to the side, questioning. Black fur flattened and teeth disappeared.

"Are you Blister?" Yusei suggested.

"Yeah," the man responded. "I heard you were looking for me." Ringer barked over the engine. "Be careful with the paint job there, Doggie. You ruin it and I might have to go through with the idea of turning you over to your stalkers." The creature flattened his ears and whined an apology.

The runner started to slow, the engine going quiet and pulled into an abandoned building in the city outskirts. The building was crumbling with large pieces tumbling to the ground. Windows gone and replaced with jagged teeth, door falling off its hinges, the grey exterior giving it a bleak aura.

"I saw that little trick of your's," Blister started as he glared down at Ringer. "Use it, and you'll give away our location." He pointed up to the sound of helicopters searching for their escaped prisoner with large lights to shine down on the city.

The man, about twenty years old, led the pair into the crumbling building and up a set of unstable stairs. Ringer was particularly afraid of that part, seeing as a large piece of concrete fell from under his foot. He would have fallen to the basement, and quite possibly his death if Yusei wasn't behind to grab his scruff.

The space Blister called home was just as miserable as the outside, only cleaner and had evidence of someone living there for a long time. Their help sat down at a clean spot on the table, set up a laptop, and started typing away. Yusei stood a few steps from the doorway, in the middle of the room while Ringer followed Blister and placed his paws on the table's surface to get a better look at what the man was doing.

The teen duelist let his gaze wander around the room. There wasn't much. The furniture was old and falling apart, one of the table legs stood on a stack of old books due to most of it being gone. Old food wrappers filled a small trash can in the corner. It looked like a setup for the average Satellite, except a bit messier.

"What are you?" Yusei asked scanning the room once more. The clicking of keys never stopped or paused as the twenty-something-year-old thought about it.

"Guess you can call me a 'Jack of all trades'." Blister unwrapped a granola bar and split it in half. He shoved the bigger piece into his mouth, pulled a small part off, before sliding it onto the table for Ringer to scarf down. "You don't have to worry about payment. Tanner sent it to me before getting placed in the center. Now the bigger question; what can I do for you?"

"I need to get into the Security storage warehouse building." Blister turned showing his face for the first time. The man had some scruff on the chin, the same dark oak color as his unkempt hair. He wore a green vest over a white long-sleeve shirt and brown pants. The look of shock and question adored their helper's face.

"It's your funeral." He turned back to his work. Yusei looked around the room for the last time when something caught his eye. On a makeshift dresser, was a framed photo of Blister and a spiky, redhead holding a gold winner's cup above their heads. The redhead held a card in his other hand. The teen couldn't see what card it was, so he lifted the picture up. Under it was the card in the picture, now damaged by an accident. Veins of black laced the surface of the card. The name at the top of the piece of paperboard read Machina Sniper.

"Hey, Blister." The man didn't respond. "I didn't know you were a duelist." Ringer turned to his partner, ears to the sky. He trotted over. Blister turned and was what the teen was holding. His face became pinched with anger.

"You shouldn't be going around touching other people's stuff!" he shouted, hands clutching into fists. The fox whimpered an apology and tucked his tail around his back leg. Yusei, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the scolding.

He held up the picture. "You were a tag team duelist." Blister's anger melted as he sighed in defeat. Ringer noticed the sudden change, padding up to the man to nose his hand.

"I wasn't a pro," he confessed. "We only defeated duelists in the exhibition league." He pets Ringer a few times, hairy fingers tickling the creature around his neck. "You need to invest in a collar for your pet. If you two get separated, then he would be placed in the pound." The fox stiffened under Blister's hands. He rushed back Yusei's side, cowering behind the duelist who dropped to Ringer's level and comforted the scared animal.

"I'll try to get one." Blister nodded absently. "And he's not my pet. Ringer is my partner." This made the ex-duelist smile, chuckling.

"Well, that won't get you anywhere," he muttered under his breath. Blister turned back to the laptop on the table. "Come here. I want to show you something." Yusei stood and strode over, Ringer close on his heels.

"I got the password for the warehouse, but you're going to need more than that if you don't want to go back to the Facility. I won't care either way, as long as it doesn't track back to me. I still have a few more things to do, but find a halfway decent room to sleep in for tonight. I won't have you snooping through my things, again." Blister waved a hand carelessly through the air dismissing the pair. Ringer took the lead, wanting to leave the man as quickly as possible because of the horrible experiences accidentally resurfaced.

They scoured the rooms close to Blister's 'office' in fear of the room collapsing while they slept. The first mostly consisted of large pieces of rubble and even larger cracks in the walls.

The second room was located to the left of the office and a bit further away than the first. It was less in ruins but still had a few decent sized pieces of ceiling scattering the floor. Ringer entered the room with caution while Yusei stayed by the door, watching the fox investigate the area for any large cracks. He stopped at one point, red eyes fixed on the ceiling and filling with such joy the duelist thought they were going to overflow.

"What did you find?" the teen asked as he crossed the room. He looked up to the spot Ringer's gaze was glued on. Above their heads, the old, grey ceiling was eroding away with age like the rest of the building. Passed the crumbling roof was the thing filling Ringer in joy; the moon, full and bright and shining down on the pair with its crater-smile. "Alright, buddy. Let's sleep here."

They brushed away some smaller stones and pulled aside the medium side pieces. Once a decent sized area was cleared, Yusei shrugged off his jacket and balled it up on the floor. Ringer curled up, back pressed to the duelist's stomach. Sure, it was cold out and the little body heat they provided each other wasn't enough, but they would suffice. The moon above kept them in place.

Ringer's soft purr like sounds filled the quiet void, no car engines or the bustle of the city, just the tag-team and their missed night noises. The feel of cold concrete never bothered them, nor how hard the floor was on their bony limbs. They fell asleep in each other's company with Yusei's bare arm wrapped around the fox's middle.

The next morning, Ringer blinked the sleep from his eyes to watch Blister hand his partner a duffle bag. The trio stood in the man's office, sunlight beaming in and soaking the fox's black fur in warmth. He was trying to remember all the information being presented to them, but the combination of little sleep and the warmth of the sun, Ringer's mind was still full of cobwebs.

"When you get into the warehouse, your name is Yusei Adams and Ringer is your service dog. The name should be printed on the badge, which should be in the bag," Blister informed Yusei. "There should be a janitor's uniform inside and a Service Dog Harness. In the side pocket, there should be Ringer's tags and the passcode you need to type in when the badge is scanned. That should be it, from then on, it all depends on your luck."

"Thank you, Blister," the teen replied. Ringer offered his own thanks as a soft bark. "Thanks for everything."

"I don't know why you're even doing this," he grumbled. "You know you're going to get caught. Why do it?"

"It represents the bond between me and my friends. They helped me build it. I'm only taking back what was stolen from me."

"Friends," Blister scoffed. Yusei glanced at the picture on the dresser, the one he was scolded for being curious about. Ringer watched the man's expression change at the sight, all tension leaving his scruffy face. The tag-team's happy faces as the confetti fell around them.

"Guess I understand, then. I had a friend once, but that card under the frame shows what happened; our bond was shattered. Guess that's what he wanted to let me know when he sent it, just to be sure I knew." Blister kept his brown eyes on the ground, never looking up.

"What happened?" Yusei asked without regret but felt it stir his stomach when Ringer nipped at a gloved finger. Blister smiled sadly as more unwanted memories came to light.

"We were doing a few practice runs, when we hit a bump. Something flew up and cut the sidecar off from the runner. Aero, he was heading for the old factory building not far from where we practiced. He had no way of turning away. I tried to pull him away with the runner, but when I saw how close we were getting to the building, I turned. The runner toppled over and I was safe. I wouldn't say that for Aero, he was able to recover from the accident. Now, he can't ride a duel runner, ever again."

Blister's fist was shaking at the end of his story, anger welling up. It wasn't pointed at his partner, but himself. The man blamed himself for his friend's accident. "Risking your life for a friend is impossible when it comes to it. Making friends it pointless." He was shouting at the end of the lesson he learned.

Yusei didn't respond. No expression, no comment. He took the duffle bag, then left for his mission with Ringer at his heels. Blister was left alone to stew in his anger and blame… and regret.

Ringer walked by his partner's side with an ear in the duelist's gentle hand. The address was written down on a small piece of paper and tucked safely in Yusei's other hand.

"He'll figure it out eventually," the teen said to the fox. He looked down at the animal with a smirk. "Maybe." Ringer smiled a little. Hopefully, Blister does. They continued their way to the building, stopping in an alley nearby to slip into the disguises.

Yusei slipped his jacket off, along with his gloves and placed it into the blue bag. Then, pulled out the faded green janitor's suit. It was about his size, maybe a little bigger. The dog harness laid at the bottom. Large white block letters read 'Service Dog' across the sides lined with orange reflective tape.

Ringer stood still while his partner fastened the vest on him, being careful not to pinch skin. The duelist stepped into the body suit, shrugging the large material over his shoulders and zipping it up. The suit bunched around his ankles and the sleeves swallowed his hands. The hat on his head concealed familiar black and yellow hair from the officers inside the building.

The fox made sure to hide the large dragon mark on his shoulder, pressing the fur to Yusei's leg as they walked together. The teen kept the blue duffle bag in hand. They slipped into the male's bathroom and waited for the place to close and lights to turn off.

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	18. Chapter 17

The pair didn't wait too long, but it seemed so, between standing on the toilet and balancing his partner on his shoulders. Sometimes someone would bang on the door of the stall they hid in. Yusei's breath balled itself in his throat each time. Eventually, the person left and the balled air uncurled.

Ringer popped the stiffness from his legs and back. The forehead ring lit up, casting Yusei's large shadow on the yellowed wall. The black mass danced with the duelist's movements as he let the disguise fall around his feet. Using his teeth, the fox shook off the harness and dragged it to the blue duffle bag, where it was stuffed inside along with the faded green jumpsuit.

They made their way to the elevator, being mindful of the active cameras, and pushed the button, waited for the doors to open then pressed the top floor button. The metal box shuttered, shimmying up the shaft. Ringer watched the numbers increase at a steady rate to the one Yusei pressed. The elevator groaned and rattled in protest of the stop, grumbling as it went back from dropping off the passengers.

Yusei stepped to the door before them, slid 'Yusei Adam's' ID card along the reader slot and punched in the four-digit passcode Blister gave him. The glass an inch above the keypad flashes green and the doors slid open. Ringer burst in, nose searching for the crate with ring light off. His partner close behind him.

With nose to the ground, the fox found a number of scents; old mint gum, some odd fruity spot, grass seeds- There it was! The smell of motor oil. His eyes followed a brown, wood wall.

"Good job, Ringer." Yusei patted his head, rubbing the sweet spot around his ear. He was ready to deliver a light, happy yip when large lights blinded the pair. They shielded their eyes with an arm or paw. Yusei blinked under the small shadow he created.

"Thought you could get away with this, Yusei?" a familiar voice shouted over the hum of lights. It was Trudge, standing on one of the larger crates in the warehouse. More officers surrounded him. "I knew you would do something. Never thought you would go as far as sneaking into storage. You are Satellite scum after all. Now that I think about it, that mutt of your's could be used as a police dog. Nose of his was able to sniff out your runner."

"The runner belongs to me and my friends," Yusei protested. "You're the one who stole it from us. And Ringer's place is with me." The fox growled in agreeance.

"You sure that's _your_ dog?" Trudge asked innocently. "There's no ID tags. He could be a stray."

"He has a license," Yusei informed. He eyed the uniform men circling the pair as he looked for a way out. The man only chuckled.

"It would be a shame if you lost them. Or worse," Trudge dropped from the crate, earning a threatening growl from Ringer. "They were destroyed. Get him! And muzzle that fleabag!" The guards surrounding the pair closed in but missed their target. Yusei scaled the crate behind him with his partner not far behind. Then dove into the box. "It's no use, Yusei. That runner is offline."

The teen felt a smug smile tug on his lips. Only he and Ringer could turn this thing on. "What do you mean by 'offline'?" He asked as the engine turned over. Ringer placed himself behind Yusei, nodded once he was secure. The rider cranked the accelerator and tiled the gas. The red runner pitched forward, breaking through the flimsy wood cage.

"I'm going after him!" he heard Trudge say as he peeled out of the room and down the hallway. The sound of another runner approaching echo down the corridor within a few seconds. Speed World activated automatically, a purple color tinted cast over his vision like a veil. "You're not getting away that easily."

Yusei turned. Behind him, Trudge was gaining ground. Fast. The officer was a couple meters away when the programmed voice gave the warning; "System Override. Speed World activated. Duel mode engaged." Everything around them adopted a purple hue.

"This isn't good," he stated to no one. His runner had started to slow as they approached the end of the hall, where a large metal, garage-like door descended to cut off the pair from their escape. Yusei tried the gas but was met with a high pitched whine. The red runner never sped up and its riders were forced to take a sharp turn, their exit now fully blocked. "Looks like we have to win this duel in order to get out of here." Ringer nosed the nape of his neck, leaving a small wet trail, in encouragement.

"Nice of you to agree, Yusei," Trudge spoke up. "But there's no way you're leaving here without a stop at the Facility for a few years. I'll be nice for once and let you take the first turn."

"How kind of you," he grumbled and drew his hand. "I'll start off with Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode!" With a squeal of delight, the little creature was ready at the duelist's side with 800 points. It wasn't much, but the little monster's ability might come in handy later in the duel.

"Starting off with something weak, are we?" Trudge amused. He drew a card, earning a high pitched beep from their runners as the Speed Counters rose. "Well, I'm going in a different direction. Welcome to the field, Search Striker." Yusei watched 1600 Attack Points slide onto his visor. He turned. The new monster looked robotic, with pipes and wires leading to its face. At least the part not covered in metal. The rest of it was cloaked in a dark blue cloak to hide the rifles replacing its hands. "Attack Quillbolt Hedgehog!"

The rifleman lifted an arm and fired at the small creature. It was a small projectile, tiny and glowing a yellow color similar to the headlights on his runner. Its size didn't matter, piercing through the target and shattering it to thousands of pieces. Yusei's Life Points didn't drop, thanks to Quillbolt being in defense position. "I set one card and end my turn. Your move, Yusei."

He drew a card and heard the small sound of his Speed Counters increasing once again. He added the new card to his hand, chancing a glance at the cards. Ringer yipped to catch the duelist's attention. The fox leaned over with black nose pointing to a card.

"Good job, buddy." Plucking the card from his hand and placing it on the field. "I summon Junk Synchron! Then, use its ability to bring back Quillbolt Hedgehog." Ringer barked a greeting to the holograms on either side of him. "Then, I tune my Quillbolt Hedgehog with my Junk Synchron to Synchro Summon Junk Warrior." The warrior shouted his arrival, taking his place beside Yusei and his partner.

Their hallway was coming to an end for the second time. The large metal door began its slow decline as the runner closed in. He tried the gas again, its whine blending with his partner's worried one. They never sped up. Yusei's heart thump in his chest, the distance between him and the metal door was shortening quickly.

A frustrated growl rumbled his vocal cords. The door clanged shut and forced the red runner to make a sharp turn. Ringer's teeth rattled as their ride kissed the door. They didn't make the exit. The pair breathed a sigh of relief, lucky they didn't crash.

Yusei felt another growl, one not his own, but vibrated the back of his neck. It muffled the sound of Trudge's laugh. "Not so fast, Satellite. I activate my face down- Discord Counter! Say 'Goodbye' to your Junk Warrior and hello to the monsters you used to summon it." The monster split into two, taking the duelist's side once again. Trudge chuckled. "Did you really think something that flea-ridden mutt could help you? That thing will only drag you down!"

The vibrating stopped, Ringer went stiff. It's been a while since he's heard the officer's cruelty. The name calling never seems to stop, but this was something new, he's never called Ringer anything close to a… burden. "I told you before, Trudge. Ringer is my partner. It will never change." He leaned back as far as his runner allowed him, touching his back to the fox's body. The heat of the creature pushed through his jacket and warmed him, but it didn't seem to unfreeze his partner from his trance.

"That won't matter once you're in the facility." Trudge drew a card and a beep from their runners. "I summon Pursuit Chaser to attack your Quillbolt Hedgehog." The new monster was a machine, exterior a white metal professionally shaped over the iron skeleton. Its 'hands' leveled with the hedgehog and fired a yellow bullet. Quillbolt squealed as it hit, then shattered. "Since it destroyed a monster in defense mode, Pursuit Chaser's special ability hits you with 500 points of damage."

The Life Point gage on Yusei's screen subtracted the amount. It wasn't much, but enough to put Trudge on top. "Search Striker, attack his Junk Synchron!" It followed Quillbolt to the Graveyard with the same pained shout. "I end my turn with a face down."

Drawing a card, Yusei started his turn and the speed counters increased to 3. Ringer shifted behind him, looking over his shoulder and at the cards he held. Both knew there wasn't much they could do. "I place one card and end my turn."

"What? Are you doubting your pet?" Trudge mocked. "Finally realizing nothing good would come out of listening to it? How about you surrender?"

"Not a chance," he argued. The hallway was coming to an end, an exit most likely to be closed off soon.

 _Keep going!_

The voice had confused him, not that he didn't know who it was. It was the fact Blister had contacted him. Didn't the older man want nothing to do with him? Cut all ties, right?

 _Don't ask questions, just keep going._

He did as the voice in his helmet said and kept pushing forward. His heart thumped against his ribs harder and harder with each passing second, each meter he traveled. He was sure Ringer could feel the out of control beat his heart was making. The fox was still pressed against him.

The door was a few feet from the ground. Yusei could only think about what was going to happen next. The runner colliding with the metal door, him and Ringer getting caught in an explosion of fire and metal, then separated by Sector Security once again. But he trusted Blister, needed to trust him.

So, he shielded his eyes and ducked. He felt Ringer do the same, shoving his nose under the folds of his navy blue jacket. The runner vibrated under him and his ears rung with the loud boom of an explosion. Ringer's must have been worse, those large ears picked up everything. The fox whimpered into his ear, confirming his suspicions. When he looked up, he was falling. _They_ were falling. Down an old elevator chute fogged in black.

"I'm going to make you pay," Trudge shouted from behind, taking a card from his deck. The teen didn't hear the sound of their Speed Counters increasing. "Pay for leaving me in that trash tube. I activate the Speed Spell Rapid Shotwing. This spell allows me to choose a monster on my field and increase its attack by 100 for each Speed Counter I have. I choose Search Striker." Yusei eyed the 1600 attack points in the corner of his visor jump to 2100 and he knew where all of them were being used for. "Search Striker, attack Yusei directly," Trudge commanded.

The monster did as told, aiming a rifle at the target and firing. A small yellow projectile hit the red runner in a holographic cloud of dust, causing a sudden drop in Life Points and a decrease in Speed Counters. "Let's have my Pursuit Chaser have a turn to take a chunk of your Life Points." The machine whirred and took aim.

"I activate my trap." The card flipped over on Yusei's field. "Confusion Chaff. Now, the monster you attack me directly before with becomes the target of your attack." Search Striker moved in front of Yusei's runner, ready to defend him just this once. Pursuit Chaser's 1400 attack points didn't stand a chance against the rifleman's 2100, taking 700 Life Points from Trudge.

The officer's turn ended and the effect of Rapid Shotwing ended, decreasing Search Striker's attack back to 1600.

"My turn." Yusei started by taking the top card. "I summon Speed Warrior." Ringer yipped at the sight of one of his favorite monsters finally taking the field.

"Not so fast, Yusei," Trudge interrupted. "I activate my face-down, Power Bind. Say Goodbye to those 900 attack points." The monster's attack dropped to zero.

"Thanks, Trudge, 'cause now I can activate the Speed Spell Reactor Pod." The card appeared on his field, green bordering a small illustration. "This card inflicts damage directly to you equal to my monster's original attack." The younger duelist watched his opponent's Life Point gage decrease to 2400. "I end my turn with a face down."

Trudge drew a card, the sound of wind masking the sound of Speed Counters increasing. "Search Striker, attack Speed Warrior." The monster raised an arm at its master's command, steadying it. Yusei pressed a button on his duel disk to defend himself.

"I activate my face down Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" A wooden post decorated in barbed wire and bars and cords appeared before the warrior. The rifleman fired a yellow bullet and hit Yusei's defense. The scarecrow retreated back into the card and reset itself onto the field.

"Then, I'll play my face down, Final Countdown," Trudge called over the wind. "While this card is face-up on the field, I can not play any other spells or trap. But any set cards on my field can be sent to the Graveyard and inflict damage onto you. Be lucky, Yusei. I could send three facedowns to deal 1500 points of damage right at you." Trudge threw his head back and laughed.

The teen drew a card, relieved for that annoying beep of Speed Counters increasing. He was still behind by 2. Speed Warrior's attack increased to its original attack as Power Bind's effect expired. "I switch Speed Warrior to defense and summon Healing Wave Generator." The monster hovered above him with a blue tint. The light bulbs screwed into the sides gave off a harsh blue light, bouncing off the metal pipes and the mirror in the middle.

"Then, I activate my Generator's special ability. Now, I can increase my Life Points by multiplying my Speed Warrior's level by 100." Ringer watched his partner's gage increase to 1600. Now, Yusei had a chance of surviving Final Countdown's effect. "I set two cards to end my turn."

"Brace yourself, Ringer," Yusei warned his friend. Their fall was coming dangerously to the bottom, the end of the air whistling in his ears and the fear of the runner turning around on itself. The only thing he could do was angle his runner, back wheel closer to the ground. Ringer's teeth found themselves in the collar of his jacket.

They bounced a couple of times before the elevator doors opened and allowed them to pass. The doors closed, buying the team a few seconds from Trudge's howling. It was only a few minutes, and yards away were the elevator doors bashed opened by the officer's runner wheel.

Ringer threatened from behind as the white runner matched their speed and rammed into them. "You're not going to get away from me that easily, Satellite." Yusei cringed at the hot breath on his face, the heavy smell of onions and garlic reaching his nose. The scent gripped his throat and squeezed the breath out of him. The hand released him when Trudge leaned away but clawed at him each time the red runner was rammed into.

Ringer tried baring his teeth at their assailant. He barked and snarled, snapped and tried bitting Trudge. Neither backed down. Not until the fox's ear twitched and he stopped to listen. His partner never noticed, too focused on trying to stay upright on the motorcycle. A yip drew him away, forcing Yusei to pull his runner away fro Trudge, just in time for another runner to drive between them. The rider lifted a foot and slammed it into the white paint job. Trudge cried out as he crashed behind them.

Looking up, Yusei sent a confused glance to the new duelist's way. Corners of his lips curled in a smile, his partner's ears perked up in delight. "Thanks," he said to Blister. "But why are you here?"

The brunette smirked and said, "Don't start thinking I came because of 'friendship'. I'm only here to make sure my reputation isn't ruined by you. Besides, I already ruined one friendship, don't need to ruin another."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked, despite the feeling of where this was going.

"Why do you think Aero sent me that card?" The young man shouted into the wind. "As a reminder of what happened. That it was _my_ fault he can't Turbo Duel again." Ringer whined, then yipped when Blister didn't hear him the first time. He turned to face the pair.

"That's not the case," Yusei argued. "Aero sent you that card to remind you about something, that you were right about. It wasn't because he blamed you, but that he still considered you a friend and hoped you felt the same." Blister opened his mouth with some kind of argument on his tongue. It was quickly closed. Yusei couldn't have known what was going through his head, but the teen was sure he was thinking about it, going over the evidence and the past with new eyes.

Neither had a chance to fully digest the words before Trudge made his appearance known. He shouted from behind, "Hold it right there, Satellite. You aren't getting away from me that easily." Both watched the officer gain ground rapidly.

"You better win this," Blister snapped. Yusei nodded once and turned his attention back to the duel. Speed Warrior had been skating next to him the entire time, keeping a nice even pace with the red runner. The beep of Speed Counters increasing told Yusei, Trudge had started his turn.

"I summon Torapart." The monster was strange looking. Its middle was cut in half and the bottom replaced by a copy of the top. The clothes it wore were circus-like, bizarre color matching with funny hats and makeup. "Then, I tune my Search Striker with my Torapart to Synchro Summon Goyo Guardian." The monsters became transparent with small balls of light breaking their forms. The two stars that once were Torapart circled in a parallel motion fast enough to create two rings. The rest lined up in the center and grew to fit the circles. It was blinding for a few seconds, but when it faded the monster from the tunnel was in its place.

"Goyo Guardian, attack Healing Wave Generator!" Following its master's command, it swung the weapon it had; a long length of rope attached to a rod. Dark blue eyes watched as it was launched at his warrior.

"Did you forget about my Scrap-Iron Scarecrow?" Yusei pressed the small button on his runner to activate the card. It flipped up and turned black. The Scarecrow didn't protect the mirror from the attack, shattering it instantly. "What?"

"Because Torapart was used in a Synchro Summon, you can't activate any traps when Goyo Guardian attacks," Trudge explained with a smirk. "I'll activate my Guardian's special effect to Special Summon Healing Wave Generator from the Graveyard to my side of the field." Goyo Guardian swung his rod again and tossed it at Yusei's duel disk, passing through the solid metal. After a few seconds, it pulled the rope. The large mirror resurfaced and joined Trudge's side.

"Then, I activate my Healing Wave Generator's special ability." He threw his hands up as the soft, gentle light warmed his uniform, laughing in early victory. His Life Point gage increased to 3000. "I'll place one card down to end my turn. This is it, Yusei. After your next turn, I'll activate Final Countdown's effect to deal 3000 points worth of damage directly to you."

"We'll see about that," the teen shouted. His partner whined quietly, calling his empty threat. Honestly, Yusein wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this. Yet. He drew a card and smirked. It was just what he needed. "I summon Turbo Synchron."

The engine like monster joined his side. Its metal was painted green and yellow. "Turbo Synchron, attack Healing Wave Generator!" 100 attack points weren't going to do much, it bounced off and Yusei's Life Points dropped to a measly 100. Trudge threw his head back and bellowed a laugh.

"What was _that_ supposed to do?" The officer mocked. "Look what you just did; you made it easier for me to beat you." He started laughing again.

"What were you thinking?" Blister scolded Yusei. Then, grumbled, "This is great. He's going to lose and my reputation is going to be ruined."

"I'm not going to lose," Yusei assured. His partner barked, adding to the sentence. "Because now I can activate my Turbo Synchron's special ability. When it attacks and I end up taking damage, I can summon a monster from my hand with attack points equal to, or less than the damage I took. I summon Sonic Chick!" The small pink bird ran next to him, a bell was sewn to the green collar around its neck jingled with each stride of red shoes.

"Lastly, I use Quillbolt Hedgehog's effect to bring it back." With a squeal of delight, Quillbolt was brought to the field next to the bird. Both exchanged a happy smile, like the old friends they were. "Now that everything is set up, I activate my facedown, Urgent Tuning, to tune Sonic Chick, Quillbolt Hedgehog, and Speed Warrior with Turbo Synchron to Synchro Summon Turbo Warrior."

Yusei's ears rung with his partner's howl of excitement as the new monster appeared on the field. Turbo Warrior towered over the duelists, its red armor covered any light wanting to pass through. Long silver claw-like fingers rested at its sides.

Trudge stared up at the monster with wide eyes and opened mouth. Ringer watched the officer carefully. He watched his jaw tightened and eyes narrow. A growl raised in the fox's throat as the man caught up with them and tried slamming his white runner into theirs. He was about to bite the officer when Blister's green runner cut between the duelists. He was holding back Trudge.

"I shouldn't be loosing to some Satellite scum and his mangy mutt, like you two!" He shouted over Blister.

"Yusei," the younger man grunted. He gave Trudge another shove and tried to speak again. "Finish it!"

"Thank you, Blister," the teen smirked. "Turbo Warrior attack Goyo Guardian." The monster obeyed its master, claw fingers moving to slash his opponent's monster. "By activating my Warrior's special effect, I can halve your monster's attack until the end of the battle. Then, I activate my facedown, Synchro Strike. Now, Turbo Warrior's attack increases by 500 for each monster I used to summon it." The large red machine's attack points spiked to 4500, its target decreasing to 1400. The Guardian cried out in pain as the claws cut through the hologram's form, taking Trudge's last 3000 Life Points with it.

The white runner almost stopped, steam releasing with a hiss from the engine. Blister's runner fell over with the force of the officer's quick slowed pace. Ringer gave a small bark, nosing Yusei's shoulder to pull his attention from the fading holograms.

"Blister!" He cried out. A gloved hand readied to slow down and help his new friend until he heard the young man shout.

"Keep going, Yusei. Don't stop! I'll be fine." It didn't settle with the teen very well, but he did as told, bursting out of the building and into a crowd of Sector Security officers.

They cleared a path as he rode through them. They tried to slow them down with their taser sticks. Some failed to touch Yusei but grazed Ringer. Other times they hit their mark. The teen bit down on his tongue, trying to ignore the electricity that coursed through him. A familiar taste washed over his taste buds.

With eyes closed and the lingering pain slowly fading away, the red runner burst out of the crowd. He couldn't see where they were going. Ringer tried coaxing him to show those dark eyes. He could see what was coming up. The small pile of trash in the alley they rode down was getting closer. By the time Yusei opened his eyes, it was too late.

The wheel of their runner got caught a line of wire, wrapping around the axel and forcing it sideways. Ringer felt familiar arms wrap around him as they were ejected from their seats. A short whimper was knocked out of his lungs on impact.

It took a few moments for his breath to return and he was able to wiggle out of the slack grip around him. He wasn't hurt, other than being shaken up a bit, he was fine. He pawed the helmet off, sending it to the ground in a clatter, and turned to his partner happily. Ringed ears drooped and sent a stone to his stomach. He whined the discomfort the stone cause.

Yusei hasn't gotten up, he hasn't _moved_. Black nose nudged the teen, asking for reassurance, for movement, for _something_. He didn't like how his partner's head rocked back to its original position without a noise or movement. That stone forced its way up his throat, choking him. He wasn't sure whether his partner was okay or not. If he was alive or not.

Ringer was able to swallow the rock, dissolving in his stomach. Yusei was still breathing, a small flow of air leaked from his nose. He was still alive. The fox tried pulling the teen's helmet off, taking the fin in his mouth and giving a slight tug. It didn't move, not even an inch. He tugged harder. When it still didn't move, Ringer stiffened his back legs and brought the front paws behind his shoulders. He threw all his weight into the last tug, toppled over. The helmet was sent flying, bouncing and rolling away from him.

The fox watched it roll, stopping at a sneakered foot. He looked up. Two kids stared at him with wide eyes, two other foxes growling lowly as a warning.

The kids looked almost the same. One wore mostly blue, teal hair tied back in a high ponytail. The other wore pink and red, her style similar to her brother's. Her hair, though, was tied in two pigtails on top.

The foxes looked… like him! The one by the boy's side had the same patterns as he did when he and Yusei were little, but any kind of birthmark was absent from the brown fur. A pink collar was clipped around her neck.

The taller one's fur bristled, teeth in a menacing smile. He had a birthmark like him, one of a dragon claw. The thick pink lines stood out against white fur. Large pink ears laid flat against its head. Large blue eyes were narrowed, locked on him. One white and pink bow attached to an ear, ribbons flowing from it. Another was at its neck with more pink, blue and white ribbons.

Ringer placed himself between them and his partner, who hadn't moved at the growls. The two kids didn't seem scared, more of concern. The girl placed a hand on bigger fox, catching its attention.

"Calm down, Shard," she said. The girl turned to her brother. "Leo, help me get him inside." The boy nodded and jogged toward the team. Ringer stepped back with fur bristling and teeth bared. The little fox was at Leo's side. She fluffed her fur, making her appear bigger than she was.

"Luna?" The boy asked. "A little help?" The girl made her way over, not backing down. Ringer froze, suddenly feeling surrounded and threatened. Memories of the pound flashed behind his eyes, but he wasn't there. Yusei was here with him, in the alley they crashed in.

She held her hands before her, offering peace. His fur flattened and black nose twitched as he sniffed the surface. 'Luna' seemed okay. "Let us help." The black fox stepped aside and let the twins carry Yusei to the elevator not far from the crash site.

* * *

 **Hey, everyone. Sorry, it's been a while since I last updated. I wanted to say Thank you, again for 1k+ views on this story. hope you're enjoying it. Thank you!**


	19. Chapter 18

Ringer nosed his partner's cheek, hoping for any sort of reaction, but when none came, he hopped onto the couch and laid his head to the duelist's chest. There was nothing he could do but wait. Wait and listen to the twins as they discussed what kind of life the pair use to have. Their own partners curled up not far from where they stood. Shard's watchful glare burned holes into his fur, charing it blacker.

The room was decorated with beautiful flowers soaking in water-filled vases. On the right white wall, stairs stuck out like sore thumbs. Under it was a door. What was behind it, Ringer didn't know. The fox didn't pay attention to the door's secrets or the sweet smell of flowers. He kept his gaze on the far wall of curtains.

Honestly, his red glare had been fixed on the light purple fabric for a few hours. The sun's rays soaked the white carpet in purple and yellow hues a bit after the twins had found the pair, in trouble and on the run. Ringer didn't even get to watch the moon set.

"Think we're going to get in trouble?" Luna asked from the coffee table she sat on. Her dim gold eyes washed over with guilt, hiding her curiosity.

"Why do you say that?" Her brother questioned back. The boy had been staring at the black fox since the twins had dragged Yusei into the elevator. Now, Leo seemed somewhere else, gaze drifting from the duelist laying on the couch and his deck on the coffee table.

"Well, do you remember the guy who cleaned the pool?" Her twin nodded. "He had one of those marks. When Dad saw, he fired him."

"The mark means he's a criminal, right?" Luna confirmed his guess with a nod. "What do you think he did?" She shrugged, this time.

"Couldn't have been animal abuse." The teal-haired girl slid off the table and placed a small hand on Ringer's head. "His partner wouldn't be so worried." The black fox tried to ignore the comforting gesture, ears straining for the thumping in Yusei's chest, but he couldn't help the pur rattling his vocal cords.

He wished Yusei could wake and assure Ringer he was fine. For calloused hands to rub his large ears. Or the sudden comforting warmth of the duelist's navy jacket draped over his small form.

The fox whimpered, longing for those things to happen and buried his nose into the crook of Yusei's neck. Slow, sleep-induced breaths tickled his ear hairs and caused the appendage to shutter and twitch with each draw of air. The soft hand of his head disappeared, leaving the spot bathing in the cold room air.

Ringer's mind started drifting to the twins argument when he felt it; a slight hitch in his partner's breathing. The fox slowed his breath, feeling for that brake in rythme. It came with a slight groan, then stilled once more. Nosing the duelist's cheek, Ringer hoped for some kind of in reaction. More specifically, for those blue eyes to snap open. Another groan, but a slight shift. The curious gaze of the twins crawled under his fur, any and all arguments coming to a halt.

He tried again, nosing the cheek and adding a whine. That did it. Dark blue eyes stared at him, drowsily. "Ringer?" The fox yipped in delight, moving back to allow the teen to sit up. Though he seemed to regret it, grabbing the sides of his head and wincing. Wet, black nose touched Yusei's in an asking manner.

"I'm fine, buddy." The duelist's hands dropped from his head, finding its way to Ringer's ear. "Just a little headache." The creature chirped with content, memorized by the soothing motion of Yusei's bare hand rubbing the base of the ear.

"Excuse me," a small voice piped up. They turned to the source, Luna. Her partner had moved from where he was curled, choosing to stand protectively near the girl. Leo was staring at them too, Kari sitting at his feet. Both seemed delighted that the duelist woke, but tried to stand a bit closer to the girl. Now that he wasn't worried about his partner, Ringer could see how frail Luna really was. She was skinny, more than her brother, and paler, too. Although they were twins, one could tell Leo was older.

"Who are you?" Yusei asked. The little boy jabbed a thumb to his chest with a proud grin on his face.

"This is my twin sister, Luna, and the fox is Shard. This is my partner, Kari and I'm Leonard, but please call me Leo." He paused, thumb dropping to his side. "Do you remember what happened last night?" He didn't answer, grabbing his deck instead. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yusei and this is Ringer." The fox yipped, jumping down from the sofa and greeting the twins' partners with cautious sniffs. Yusei swung his legs out from under the thin orange blanket draped over him and slid his deck into its holder. Then, grabbed his jacket and gloves from where they were flung over the back of the couch.

"Hey, you're a duelist. Right?" Leo asked, both kid and brown fox gazing up at him in. Yusei shrugged the navy jacket over his shoulders, pulled the brown work gloves on, and strapping his deck dealer over it. Dark blue eyes wandered around the room. "Can we have a duel?"

The teen ignored Leo, and the scolding glares Ringer was sending him. The fox couldn't understand why his partner was being crude to the eleven-year-old. The pair had helped them, the least Yusei could do-

Ringer's angry thoughts came to a halt once he saw what silenced his partner. It was a collection of Jack Atlas action figures and posters. With paws on the flat surface, he even found a small version of Celeste sitting behind her posed partner on the round Duel Runner. Beside the pair, a bigger action figure of Red Dragon Archfiend impaled by a metal rod to keep it above the ground.

"That's my Jack Atlas shrine," Leo stated proudly. "It's my dream to become King. Then, Kari can grow up and change like Jack's partner. We can rule the raceway, together!"

"Well, I was able to stay up for twelve last time!"

"You mean, twelve _seconds_." The dam broke. Kari sunk to the floor in a fit of giggles. The large pink and white fox was able to stay upright, leaning against the table. Leo huffed, turning back to the pair looking at the 'shrine'.

"Are you a fan of Jack's?" He asked.

"No," was followed by a short growl.

"That's a shame," Leo pouted. "You could have become just like him since you can Turbo Duel."

"Why do you say that?" Yusei prompted. He pulled his attention away from the setup and to the kids. The teal haired boy lifted a finger, pointing into the dimly lit hallway leading to the elevator.

"'Cause you have a Duel Runner." Ringer followed the finger, stepping into the dark to catch the cherry red paint job amplify the dim lighting. When, and how, did the twins get the runner? Trotting over, the black fox started inspecting the vehicle. The red paint seemed perfect at first glance, but when he circled to the other side, it was ruined.

Last night's accident caused a few small dents, about the size of golf balls. Long silver scratches beamed a menacing smile through red paint. The metal curving over the front wheel was bent, crumpled like paper in mean hands.

Ringer whined to his partner, who followed the fox to see the damage. Leo continued talking. "I thought, since you were a Turbo Duelist, then you must be here to take the title." Yusei ignored the kid, choosing to look over the dents with a calculating eye and searching hands. Ringer didn't even know the extent without turning it on, which they wouldn't do till the runner was rolled back outside.

"I don't think he's listening," Luna pointed out. Ringer heard a huff from the brother. Looking around the front wheel, the fox watched him grab something from the shrine and come back to the Duel Runner.

"Well, I have a chance to duel the King," Leo claimed, holding the thing he grabbed out. It was a medium sized pale grey envelope, gold trim embroidering designs on the surface. "They sent out invitations at random and this one so happened to be sent here!"

"It was mine, originally," his sister piped up. The older duelist had pulled his gaze from the runner and to the twin speaking. "But I didn't want to do it."

"You mean you were too scared to participate," Leo jeered. "But, I'm going to impersonate her and duel in her place!"

"And how are you going to do that?" Luna asked. "No one's going to believe you are me. Besides, the invitation also includes Shard. How are you going to make Kari look like Shard?"

"I'll be able to pull it off! We're twins. We look exactly the same. As for Kari, I was hoping Shard could come with me when it's my turn?"

"Why would Shard even want to go with you?" The fox in question growled, ending with a slight huff. "Plus, you can't look like me. I'm a girl, you're a boy."

"So, I'll wear make-up and Kari will get her fur dyed." Kari yipped in agreeance, determination setting into her features.

"Leo wears make-up! Leo wears make-up!" Luna chanted. Shard howled with his partner, mocking playfully.

"I do not!"

"Why are we even arguing about this," the girl murmured under her breath. Then, spoke a little louder, "I think you're being a little too optimistic about Yusei."

"What?" Leo shouted. Kari was by his side in an instant, barking her opinion. "I say he should be trusted!"

"Leo, you're shouting," Luna sang. "And you're causing Kari to bark. Yusei's a criminal, we don't know if we could trust him."

"So?" The boy protested, "He could have gotten arrested for something small. Like, he could have trespassed. Or he could have lied to the police." The twins continued their argument, talking about the duelist and whether they should trust the pair. Ringer turned to his partner, who was staring at the envelope Leo handed to him and hadn't looked up since.

"Thanks for your hospitality," the teen called over the argument, catching the attention of the two. "I appreciate you helping us and keeping an eye on Ringer while I was unconscious, but it's better not to get involved with us." He tossed the envelope like it was a dueling card, landing perfectly against the Jack Atlas action figure. "I don't want to cause any more trouble."

Stepping back to their runner, Yusei reached for the front of the runner. Ready to guide the vehicle out of the building. Now that his morning grogginess isn't present, Ringer could vaguely remember Blister saying something about a garage they could stay in yesterday after they got the runner back.

"Wait, Yuesi!" Ringer turned at Leo's call. Will this kid ever quit? "You're no trouble, at all." The kid rushed over to a small door near them and flung it open. Kari jumped into the mess, her partner searching along with her. In a few seconds, the little brown fox's bark could be heard. Leo reached deeper into the void. "I challenge you to a duel! Any duelist can't resist a challenge, right?"

"Aren't you the one who's causing trouble?" Luna remarked from the table.

"Come on, Luna." He didn't turn around. "In order to become a great King, I have to face lots of different opponents to get stronger."

He held an arm to his chest, blue duel disk strapped on. But the action caused the device to slide down his skinny appendage. The duel disk was too big for him, about half the size of the boy himself. "Ah, sorry. Let me just…" Leo fiddled with the black strap hidden behind the large blue deck shuffler. "No, that won't work…"

The amount of fuss the kid was making over it seemed to catch Yusei's attention, though. The teen had watched Leo with a familiar gleam in his eye. The only kind that appeared when they talked to Crow or Rally. Actually, this situation kind of reminded the black fox about Rally a little more. The way he fiddled with the device, trying to fix it, but sadly failing miserably, was something the curly redhead would do.

Ringer gave a small bark to pull the teen's rude stare from the struggling boy. When royal blue eyes landed on him, the fox gave the biggest set of red 'puppy dog' eyes he could. Honestly, he wanted to see this kid's deck, if he could duel like Rally. It appeared like Yusei was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah," he said, turning to the runner and disengaging his Duel Disk from the dashboard and attaching it to his deck dealer. "Let's have a duel."

Leo stopped what he was doing and glanced at Kari, exchanged excited expressions, then raised his arm in the air and gave a 'woohoo' joined by an ecstatic howl. Unluckily, it was the arm with Duel Disk strapped on. The device slid further, now resting close to the boy's shoulder. "Aw, man!"

They decided to move outside, deciding there wasn't enough space in the living room for the holograms to be projected. They stood on the strip of tiled land separating the house from the large pool. Leo and Kari stood on one side, fiddling with his Duel Disk, again. The device was back on his forearm, but it was still trying to spin, heavy side down. Yusei was with him, waiting for the boy to ask for help.

"Here, let me try something," he offered when he realized Leo wouldn't. Kneeling down and taking the ends of the fabric the boy was using, he started tying the disk differently. "Is no one else here?"

"No," Luna replies from the bench. Shard was laying on the ground next to her, basking in the warm sun. "We're on the top floor. Plus, our parents are always gone. I think it's for a business trip this time. When they're gone, the hotel manager is in charge of us. Even he doesn't come up here."

"We do all our studies online, so we don't really get out that much," Leo added. Yusei finished tying the fabric, giving it a few extra tugs just to be sure.

"How does that feel?" The boy moved his arm up and down, checking for any slight shift. When it didn't, Leo nodded with a smile. Yusei stood and took his spot on the other side, Ringer at his heels.

"I'll start!" Leo called over, drawing his five cards and the one to start his turn. "I summon my Morphtronic Celfon in attack position." With the sun's rays bouncing off yellow metal, an old flip phone took a space on the field.

The screen flashed once, then flipped open. The button pad split in three, the two on the bottom shifting into a pair of legs and the last split once more. Numbers one to six was pushed up, seven through nine acted as hips for the legs. The screen was cut in half, rotating on the corners to make wings. From the top of the chest, a circular plate rose up. Two eyes stared down its master's opponents.

"Then, I'm going to activate my Celfon's special ability," Leo announced. "It will dial a number between one and six. Whatever number I get, is the number of cards I can flip over. If any of those cards happen to be a level four or lower Morphtronic, then I can summon it to the field." He raised a fist in the air, keeping his arm straight to make large circles. He didn't slow. "Celfon start dialing…" He circled a few more times, picking up speed. It came to a stop and he shouted, "Now!"

The numbers lit up, flickering between the digits at a fast pace. They slowed with each passing second, till the light stayed on a number for only a few seconds. It stopped completely on the number three.

"Now," Leo started, reaching for his deck to draw the same number of cards. "Let's see what these three gives me!" He pulled the pieces of paperboard from the stack and took a glance. The kid's face brightened up, giving a shout before showing his partner the three. "Look what we got, Kari!" The little brown fox also looked delighted, chirping at the new development.

"Since this next monster is lower than level four, I can summon out Morphtronic Magnen." With three stars and 800 attack points, the bar magnet shaped monster took up Morphtronic Celfon's side. The remaining cards were placed back into the deck and reshuffled. "I set one card and end my turn."

Yusei drew a card, starting his exchange. "I summon my Speed Warrior and on the turn it's summoned, its attack points with be doubled." Sparkling in a blue haze, the warrior jumped onto the field. It looked over its shoulder to Ringer. The fox gave a smile, showing decently sized fangs. The monster dipped its head in recognition. "Attack his magnet, Speed Warrior!"

It jumped into action, ready to please its master. "Not so fast, Yusei! I activate my facedown; Morphtransion." The purple card flipped up on Leo's field. A trap card. "Since one of my Morphtronics was targeted for an attack, I can activate this card." Speed Warrior stopped in its tracks and returned. "Your attack is negated and the battle position of my monster is changed."

Morphtronic Magnen broke apart and changed its form, a u-shaped magnet. Then, adopted a blue hue. "And since its defense mode, my Magnen's special ability kicks in. This means you can only attack my magnet." Speed Warrior's attack returned to normal as Yusei's turn ended.

"My draw," Leo called, ripping the card from the top of his deck. "I summon one more Morphtronic Magnen in defense mode." The new monster appeared on the other side of his cellphone. Both magnets shifted forward and turned on their sides. Yellow electricity buzzed between the, now, c-shaped magnets to create an attack lock. He couldn't attack either monster, the aim would bounce between the two.

"I'm going to activate my Celfon's special ability, once more!" Ringer watched the light's dance, like twinkling stars in the sky. This time, it landed in two. That number of cards were removed from the top of Leo's deck. "Looks like I got another good one, Kari. I summon out Morphtronic Datatron in attack mode."

Orange metal shined in Ringer's eyes, who grumbled under his breath for being where he was. With one eye opened, the large fox watched Leo place the cards back and the deck reshuffled.

"Then, I activate the spell card Gadget Box. This allows me to summon a Gadget Token once per turn. Although, it can't attack. If I use the effect three times, the card is sent to the graveyard," Leo stated. "I'm going to activate the effect and summon one Token." The token was small and blue. Its belly was orange and black, bubbling out like a stuck ball. It had many arms, stretching out as a spider's does.

"I activate my Datatron's attack special ability." The lighter like monster slid opened. "I can tribute one of my other monsters to deal 600 points of damage right to you!" The Token glowed and its hologram swirled into a ball of intense light. The ball flew into Datatron, only to shoot out and hit Yusei. His Life Points slid to 3600.

"My turn." The teen drew a card. "You did great Leo, but I think I'm going to wrap this duel up. I activate Card Rotator. By sending one of my cards to the graveyard, I can switch the battle positions of all monsters on your side of the field. So, I'm sending Nitro Synchron to the graveyard to switch all your monsters' battle positions."

"What?" Leo squeaked. He watched as the Morphtronics reassembled themselves without the command from their master.

"Then, I summon Junk Synchron." The small monster shrieked, taking up Speed Warrior's side. "By activating my Synchron's special ability, I can special summon Nitro Synchron from my graveyard with its effects negated." It looked like a pink oxygen tank, with arm and legs. Yellow gloves and boots made great feet, hiding the metal inside.

"I tune Speed Warrior with my Junk Synchron to Synchro Summon Junk Warrior." The Synchron's stars turned into rings, sailing over the duelists' heads and wrapping around the speedster. A bright light engulfed the two monsters, replacing it with the monster summoned. "But I'm not stopping there. I tune Junk Warrior with Nitro Synchron to Synchro Summon Nitro Warrior!"

It stood tall, taller than Leo's Celfan stood in attack mode. Skin appeared to have a green buggy-rock texture. Horns pierced through the rough leathery surface on either side of its head and shoulders. The abdomen was bee-like, round and ending with a silver stripe.

"Uh, oh," Leo mumbled.

"'Uh, oh' is right," Yusei called. "Nitro Warrior, attack Leo's Morphtronic Magnen." In a shattered mist, the boy's Life Points were cut in half. "Now, I activate Nitro Warrior's second ability. I can switch one of your defense monsters to attack and attack again." Celfon quickly folded back out, standing smaller than Yusei's monster. "Nitro Warrior, attack Morphtronic Celfon!"

The monster did as told, leaping into action with a glowing fist. The cellphone let out a distorted cry, making Ringer wince at the high pitch noise. It was cut off with a shatter and started Leo's cry as his Life Points dropped to zero. The holograms faded away, emptying the space between the two.

Ringer glanced up at his partner, expressing a short congrats at the victory. The duelist didn't seem to notice, choosing to make his way over to the twins. Leo had sunk to his knees, Kari licking at the tears pricking his eyes.

"You sure cry easily," Luna commented.

"I do not," he sniffled, wiping any trace of the salty water. The small brown fox helped, licking his face in an attempt to cheer him up.

"You did great, Leo," Yusei commented. He held out a hand, which Leo took and was pulled up. "I could tell you were dueling from the bottom of your heart. You were satisfied with getting your four monsters out, but you didn't prepare well. You lost because I was able to reverse your effects. If you work a little harder, there could be a chance you become King."

Leo hung his head, tears gathering in his eyes once more. Luna did the only thing she could, placing a hand on his shoulder and say, "I think you two did great. Shard thought so, too." The pink animal yipped his approval. This made a small smile appear on the kid's face, growing into a small shout as he lifted Kari into the air. Both cheered for their loss, but happy they got a chance to duel anyone.

"Can we duel again?" Leo asked after their celebration was over. "I want to be ready this time." Yusei was by the door, ready to leave now that the duel was done. He turned and pointed to the yellow mark on his face.

"Sorry, Leo. But I don't think it's a good idea to hang around me and Ringer." The black fox nosed the duelist's other gloved hand. Yusei's gaze turned to his partner, asking what he wanted in the stare. Ringer trotted over to the twins and sat down next to the twins. He pointed a black nose to the orange and pink sky.

"I think Ringer has a point," Luna piped up. "It's getting late, maybe you should stay with us for tonight. Or at least for dinner."

"Please," Leo plead, using the 'puppy dog' eyes. Kari joined in. When that didn't seem to work, Ringer betrayed his partner. The fox could feel Yusei break under his gaze.

"Okay, fine." Leo and Kari cheered, happy with the result and charged inside. Luna followed a bit more calmly, Shard sticking by her side. "Ringer." The fox looked up to him, suddenly expecting one of Martha's recycled lectures. He didn't expect the playful undertones as the duelist said, "Don't do that again."

Smiling bright and big, Ringer followed Yusei inside. The scents of food tickled his black, wet nose as they entered. It was something he's smelled before, familiar to his taste buds. It smelled like Martha's stew, the first meal he had when he met Yusei.

The kind woman had placed a bowl on the floor for Spark, Celeste, and him, filling it with that night's dinner. The three had enjoyed the meal, but not as much as he did. Ringer asks for it, through Yusei of course, every time Martha didn't know what to cook. At one point, Jack got mad at Ringer for requesting her special stew too much.

"Tonight we're having carrot stew," Luna said from the coffee table. "Not one of our favorites, but we still eat it."

"Well, I hate carrot stew," Leo declared. "I was hoping for something, anything, else!"

"Wait," Yusei said, realizing something strange. "If you are here alone, then who decides and cooks what you eat?" Ringer took a seat next to Shard, who curled against the far wall. It was a question he had.

"The hotel manager," Luna replied. "He always sends food up via elevator."

"Not stepping a foot inside," Leo said boredly. "It's like he wants nothing to do with us."

"I wonder why?" Luna snapped, sliding her gaze to the older twin.

"What?"

"You know why he doesn't come by anymore."

"No, not really."

"Well, the last time he stepped inside, you decided to run around the living room with Kari. She nearly trampled the manager!"

"That was one time!"

"The time before that, you decided to prank him."

"I didn't do that."

"Then, it wasn't you who polished the floor with baby oil?"

"That was meant for you."

Yusei listened to the twins argue with half an ear, calling over Ringer to join them. Using a small bowl, Yusei poured half of the hot liquid and placed it on the floor. It was mostly broth, not a lot of carrots or onions or vegetables Ringer liked, but he wasn't complaining. The fox lapped up the soup either way.

The twins' bickering came to a halt, eyes on the pair as they ate. The teen didn't say anything waiting for them to join in the feast. Leo and Luna didn't, just shared a confused glance and turn back to them. They didn't say anything for a while, didn't eat their food until Leo's stomach gave protest.

Once bowls were clean and bellies full, the twins seemed ready for bed. Two pairs of golden-grey eyes were being rubbed as sleep tugged on eyelids. Yawns forced their way out of throats. Shard started pushing Kari up the stairs, ignoring the she-kit's high-pitched protests. Leo was not far behind.

"You can sleep on the couch," Luna mumbled. "The blanket should still be there." With that, she finished her trip upstairs and disappeared behind the door with her brother. Though, Yusei wasn't planning on sleeping. He was sure Trudge had a barricade outside, ready for him to step out.

With hands on his runner's dashboard, Yusei was about to push it into the elevator. Until Ringer yipped. The fox had been looking at the twin's Duel Disks, placed on the empty coffee table, both too big for their owners' small arms.

"Alright, boy." He moved away from their runner. "I guess I owe them." Thankfully, he kept his tools inside the seat compartment and got to work. He removed some of the extra components, fixed the space between the pieces and trimmed the metal. Within a couple of hours, the pink and blue Duel Disks were kid-sized and perfect for the twins.

After putting his tools away, Yusei pushed the cherry red motorcycle into the small elevator. He climbed on, Ringer jumping behind, and tore out of the small compartment, riding down the road.

* * *

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	20. Chapter 19

Yusei didn't get very far, not like he expected to anyway. The night was warm and welcoming, roads quiet as a sleeping mouse. The teen was no fool, it was the calm before a storm. His suspicions were only confirmed the moment he passed an alleyway; the start of another runner, yellow and blue lights flashed on, lighting up the area and face of the culprit.

Previous theories of Trudge's blockade came out of the dark, the culprit speeding past the pair and forcing Yusei to slam on the brakes. The headlight of the runner cut through the thick blanket of black, showing the face of the other rider a little clearer. Even if he didn't have the light, Ringer's growls could have told him who it was.

"Evening, Yusei," Trudge snarled. "I finally have you and that pest of yours alone. Now, there's no way of anyone interrupting our duel." Yusei gritted his teeth. When were they going to get a break from this? Ringer's chin rested on his shoulder, whiskers tickled his neck as the fox bared his teeth at the officer.

"Calm down, Ringer." Nothing changed. His gloved hand reached for his partner's head, where he tried rubbing the snarl out of his furred features.

"You ready to go back to the Facility?" Trudge asked.

"I'm not going back," Yusei replied, getting ready to tear out of the alley. Trudge did the same, revving his engine with a twist of the gas. The cherry runner howled back. The officer backed his ride only a few inches before getting cut off.

A pair of lights shone over their measly beams. They didn't belong to any runner, but to a car. A single shadow was cast upon the two ready duelists, a man shorter than Rally stands the cause. His purple hair curled into horn-like spikes, a small lock stuck to his forehead. A line of red cut through each green eye. The man's pointed ears were pierced with a single blue gem. His trench coat was long, covering a white and gold shirt.

Yusei paused, hands uncurling from the acceleration. Ringer was behind him, trying to move to the duelist's lap, the only way to protect his partner. Quickly, the ebony wrapped one arm around the fox's middle and the other around his front legs.

"What do _you_ want?" Trudge snapped. _So he knows this man?_ Yusei held tighter, being careful not to hurt the growling animal in his arms.

"I came to deliver a message to Mr. Fudo." The man's green glare locked onto Ringer, staring the fox down. His partner didn't stop, not even a slight hesitation in the warnings. "Calm down, Fido. I bring no harm to you or your partner." He didn't back off.

"His name is Ringer," Yusei interrupted. He studied the unknown man, who was right. The man didn't appear to be a threat to them, but the same could be said about Crow. The teen could hold his own in a fight if Spark let him that is. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lazar. I'm head of the special investigations." The man opened his mouth, ready to say something else when he was interrupted by the watching officer.

"What do you want with this criminal, Lazar? He stole this runner and it's my job to put him away for it. You're interrupting an investigation. That's something you could be demoted for." The officer smiled. He looked pleased about this.

"You won't be 'doing your job', officer Trudge."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because it will be in your best interest not to disobey the director's orders." The clown, Lazar, produced an envelope from his coat, similar to the one Leo had shown him and handed it to him. Ringer watched the man the whole time, teeth bared in a vicious grin.

Yusei uncurled his arms from the fox to open the letter. Inside was an invitation to the Fortune Cup, his and Ringer's names etched in gold on a cream piece of paper. There was something else inside the envelope with the invitation, something to make his heart drop and breathing to hitch.

"Ringer?" He said with a slight hesitation. The fox's growls faded, red eyes looking back at the now pale duelist. In his hands was a picture, no signs of aging or when it was taken, but they knew when it was. Printed on the smooth paper, was a picture of his friends. Rally, Tank, Blitz, Nervin, Crow and Spark, all happy and smiling, unaware of the person taking the picture. It must have been taken recently. Blitz and Nervin still had a few bruises on their faces from the scuffle with that insect duelist about a week ago. This must have been before he left.

"You are going to enter the tournament," Lazar said, pulling the pair from the photo.

"And if I don't?" Yusei pondered. He needed to hear it, didn't want to hear the worse, but he needed to hear it. Maybe he was wrong and he was jumping to conclusions, but sometimes people just think up the worse situations.

"Then, they will pay for everything you have done," Lazar chuckled. His stomach sank, swirling at the thought of causing any kind of pain. "One more thing." He reached back into his jacket, searching for something, before pulling it out. "In order for your… pet to compete with you, you need this. Then again, you need it in order for him to walk around with you."

He handed the thing to the half listening duelist, grabbing it in a relaxed grasp and eyes glued to the picture. The ebony didn't bother looking at the object, which felt like a long, flat heavy cord.

The man left, after telling Trudge that the director wanted to see him. The officer left shortly after, leaving Ringer to calm his partner. They sat there in the dark of the alley, eyes glued to the picture in Yusei's hands.

"What do we do, Ringer?" The fox wished he could say something, instead of the comforting gestures he made. He wished he could tell him their friends will be alright and the man was just bluffing. All he could do was creep back to his seat and press his fur to the duelist's back, whimpering in concern.

Yusei pocketed the envelope and picture, then to the other thing handed to him. It was a collar. The red color stood out against the darkness, but anything else couldn't be seen, other than the silver loop and tag dangling from the thick nylon webbing. Yusei was sure it had Ringer's information since this Lazar person seemed to know who he was and where he's from. The collar joined the picture and envelope.

Placing his hands on the acceleration, he made it out of the alley and on the road when a thought struck him hard; where were they going to go? They could sleep on the streets, but he doubted Ringer would sleep at all, alert and ready for anyone who wanted to jump them. Maybe he could contact Blister? Then, again the young man had done a lot for them already.

Like the universe had heard him, Yusei's dashboard changed to a call screen, the name text in large white block letters. They recognized it instantly. Yusei pressed the call button.

"Yusei! Finally, you answer," Blister sighed in relief. "I've tried calling you all day. What happened?"

"Sorry," was said in unison with a huffed bark. "We were kind of busy with something. What's up?"

"Other than you both giving me a heart attack?" Blister questioned. He sighed. "I'm going to be sending you a location, meet me there A.S.A.P. Be careful of Sector Security. Ever since the run in with Trudge, they've been crawling all over the city looking for you and Ringer." With that, he hung up.

Less than a minute later, the screen lit up again, this time with a map of where they were. A single blue dot rippled on a grey line near the upper left edge of the screen. At the bottom of the screen was a blue arrow pointing forward. The dot must have been where they were to go, the arrow signifying where they stood.

They followed the map, watching the arrow turn when the runner did and the dot gets closer. Ringer seemed to enjoy watching the dot, glaring at it with mild curiosity washing over the kit like playfulness he had when they were little.

The made another turn and Ringer's head cocked to the side as the map did. Another turn and the same result. Honestly, Yusei found it amusing. Even in situations like the one they were in, Ringer always seemed to find a way to cheer him up. The little things he does just to take his mind off a bad event.

Soon the small dot was capping off the arrow, Yusei was trying to hide a smirk as he looked around for any sign of Blister. The fox yipped, jumping from behind and sprinting off down a near alley.

"Ringer!" Yusei shouted after. Setting his runner at a slow pace, he followed his partner. The fox barked once more, followed by shouts and a thud. The worry started to set in, hoping Ringer didn't chase a stranger. The fire was extinguished when he saw what happened.

Blister was on the ground, Duel Runner next to him. The ex-duelist was pinned to the ground by Ringer, whose tail wagged in delight. Pink tongue hung out of his mouth, dragged across the man's stubbled cheeks.

"Hey! Yusei, how about you call off your partner?" Blister half laughed. Yusei could help a small chuckle.

"Knock it off, Ringer!" The teen called. "The man is helping us don't give him a reason not to." The fox jumped away, scrambling to the duelist's side, then sending a sorry glance Blister's way. The man got to his feet, brushing any dirt off his clothes and fixing anything askew in the 'scuffle'.

"You're fine, Ringer," the man assured. He patted the fox's forehead ring. He turned to Yusei and whispered, "Do I need to get used to that?"

"Why did you want to meet here?" Yusei asked. He glanced around the alley. It was rundown, like most of the allies, trash clung to the sides like the cobwebs in their old home. Rats scurried around them, fighting over trash and places to hide. Near them was a garage, hiding its contents.

"Well, I figured you would need a place to stay since you're not from around here," Blister replied, stating the obvious and stepping to the garage and placing a hand on a control panel. "And I have space, so I did a little cleaning up." He pressed a few buttons on the pad, commanding the large metal door to open. Inside was small, enough for a single person or a car to live in.

Though from the state it was in, this was no place for a car. A brown futon was shoved in a far corner, a spare parts bin on the same side. On the far was was a set of stairs leading to the inside of the house. A shelf held boxes filled with smaller parts and larger ones too big for the parts bin. Between the futon and the parts bin was a metal table, legs ending with small black wheels.

"Hopes this works for you," Blister said. He helped Yusei push the red runner into the garage, Ringer in tow. The fox hopped onto the futon and took a seat. "At least, till you get your own place."

"Thanks, Blister. For everything." The young man pressed the same sequence of numbers on the inside panel and stepped back, allowing the large metal door to glide down.

"No problem," he replied. "But you'll have to hang low here for now. At least, till Sector Security gives up." The man took a few steps to the stairs, taking the red rail in hand and scaled the stairs. Then, turned around to face the pair as he opened the door. "Just call if you need anything." The brunette disappeared behind the door, leaving Yusei and Ringer to get comfortable.

The teen didn't bother with his runner yet, shrugging his jacket off and laying it on the couch next to his partner, gloves followed. Calloused hands reached into pants pockets, pulling out the red band and the picture. A tired, sad sigh escaped him, knocking him to the couch. The picture was tossed to the metal table on wheels.

The collar wrapped around Ringer's throat, silver belt latch securing it from behind. Sure enough, Ringer's name was engraved on one side of a steel rounded plate, Yusei's full name on the other. But something about it felt… off.

It might have been the fact this was a _dog_ collar. Things like that labeled an animal as someone's property, not the friend and partner Ringer had become the moment they met. It made that little stone in his stomach grow, claiming space in the small pouch and forcing a wave of nausea to consume him.

The feeling got worse with each passing second he stared at the red collar around the fox's neck. It was just wrong. Did Jack do this, too? Labeled Celeste as his property, not the dueling partner she was? Either way, Yusei didn't like it. Judging by the look on Ringer's face, he didn't either.

Shaking fingers worked quickly, pulling the metal barb from the offending material. Nothing stopped the apologies rolling off his tongue. Some were for Ringer, the mere thought of the collar felt heavy with guilt. Others were for his friends in the Satellite, dragging them into this was never his plan.

At some point, the apologies became unintelligible, more like rambling, but he was sure he mentioned Crow. They didn't know what happened to the young teen after Sector Security came, he just followed Jack's orders. Even Crow's runner was under Jack's care.

"What are we going to do?"

Early the next morning, Yusei was at work trying to fix the small damages his runner had received in the crash. It wouldn't take too long to do, just smooth out the metal and check for any internal damage.

The garage was silent, except for the occasional sound from cars outside and the clinking of tools at work. Ringer had found safety in the small noises, red eyes sealed from the flickering garage light as he listened. Even the light gave a noise in the orchestra of sound.

It gave him something else to focus on and not the small panic his partner was in last night. It unnerved him when the sheer panic crossed Yusei's usually calm features, he hadn't seen any kind of panic since the Facility. Ringer never experienced panic like that before either. Now, someone had threatened the life of his friends.

"Hey, Yusei," a familiar voice called. They both turned to the source; Blister. The man stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at them. "I've been meaning to ask you; why is Sector Security so interested in you? I know this isn't just about a stolen Duel Runner, based on the amount of Security I've seen in the last hour."

"Not sure," Yusei said with a shrug. His attention was turned back to the damaged runner. Ringer watched the young brunette's scruffy features move into a suspicious grin, not seeing the chaos happening under the ebony's calm and collective mask. Thankfully, Ringer knew when the teen was calling out for help, to talk about what was troubling him. Sometimes, he needed to let others know, others who can help.

The black fox grabbed the photo in his teeth from where it laid, leaving a small wet trail on the futon to dry with his tongue. He trotted up the stairs and to the man standing above them. Blister took the photo in his hands, giving a small thanks, then looked.

"Who are they?" The sounds of tinkering hesitated, thinking of what Blister was talking about. Ringer watched the gears in Yusei's head shift, changing into different positions to put pieces together. They clicked in place, the duelist sighing in realization.

"They're my friends," was mumbled. "If I don't join this tournament, then they pay for whatever I did to get my runner back. Sadly, I don't think they'll stop there." The tinkering faded back in, growing louder to block out any worrying thoughts. Ringer watched his partner, ears pressed to the sides of his head to touch yellow marks on either shoulder.

"Don't worry," Blister sighed and turned to the black fox still standing beside him. Then, lowered his voice, "I'm going to call up some friends. Maybe someone can check on your friends. You know to make sure they're alright." The man left with red eyes boring into the rough material of his vest, picture still in hand.

Hopping from the stairs, Ringer padded to his partner, working hard on the ruby runner. It was where no thought could touch him, but Ringer can. With a simple nudge, the duelist would snap back to reality.

"Hey, Ringer? Could you hand me that wrench from the shelves, please?" The thought was pushed aside with a black nose as he searched the bottom shelf for the requested tool. A single bark asked for a further explanation. "It should be on the second or third shelf. You should be able to reach."

He rested his black-furred chin on the metal surface, pushing a few stray parts for a better look. When his searched turned up blank, he stretched and balanced on his back legs, letting his front claws click his weight in place. Only a few things had to be brushed to the sides before the long metal tool was in his sights.

The steel tasted terrible, of oil and dirt and grease, but it was something familiar. It just missed the rusted taste of old age. Ringer placed the wrench into Yusei's brown gloved hand and received a, "Thanks, bud." The fox beamed, happy he was able to help, and besides the ebony, waiting for his next request.

* * *

 **What's up, everyone? How's everyone's summer vacation going? Mine's going great. Now that I don't have to worry about school, *Cough* For now *Cough* I can try updating the story a bit more often. Sorry, I had something stuck in my throat. I also wanted to thank you, my readers, for 2k+ reads! This amazing, this story's not even a year old, yet.**

 **Again, Thank you for all your reads and I hope you all are having a fantastic summer!**


	21. Chapter 20

The sun hung above the people of New Domino City, offering its warmth and light. Passing cars protected residents who didn't want the gift, and amplified it in a different direction. The large dirt alleys between houses soaked up the offered light, heating the bugs and worms and small rodents hidden in the hard earth.

Ringer was one of those, not bathing in the sunlight like the rodents, but chasing the small creatures. His black fur stood out against the sun, the yellow making it worse, but long ears flattened to his back and tail a few inches from the ground, lithe body brushing the dirt in a hunter's crouch. Just ahead of him a brown mouse nibbled on something, he couldn't see what, only the brown furred back of the small rodent against the metal fence.

Big red eyes watched his target, unaware for the moment. His black paws stepped lightly, not a step turned a pebble or made a sound. The fox kept his breathing even and short. He had to be careful, any sound or change in air movement could alarm his prey.

When they had to visit Martha and Yusei was fixing something Ringer couldn't help with, he would take up his second job; a 'mouser'. The woman's house was an orphanage and home to any rodent within a fifty-mile radius. It had become Ringer's job to chase or kill, any mouse, squirrel, and rat that made between the walls their home.

One day, Spark and Celeste were sent to help him, something about Jack needing to clean the gutters and Crow going to help, but neither fox could catch a cold. Crow's partner had the nose of a whale, unable to pick up a scent and follow. Celeste, on the other hand, was too noisy. She didn't know how to silence her breathing. Both, though, did try hard, copying Ringer's stance and movements. The good thing was Celeste and Spark probably scared every rodent out of the house.

The mouse froze, mussels in its back tightening. A small black nose lifted in the air, twitching and searching. Ringer had to act now, or his target would get away. The mussels in his legs tightened ready to pounce, but he was too far away. If he took the chance now, the mouse would have the chance to run, simply scared by the sound his paws would make once they hit the ground.

He took a couple more steps, careful not to alert the animal any further than what the mouse knew. Now, he stood a couple of feet away, the closest he has ever gotten. Ringer froze for a moment, searching for the direction of the wind, for the way his scent was being carried. Thankfully, he was downwind of the mouse, who couldn't pick up his strange scent.

Ringer readied his back legs, flexing his front claws for the grip he needed to hold the mouse. He didn't pay attention to the honks of passing road raged drivers or the sounds of mufflers needing to be fixed. Everything was trained on the mouse, on his target.

"Hey, Ringer!" a shout caught him off guard, surprised the fox and the mouse. The target scurried away under the fence. The shout caused Ringer to take the leap and crash into the metal mesh, the top of his head meeting the steel. The sound rang in his ears, fading with each throb of his skull. The fox shook his head in an attempt to clear the unpleasant feelings he gained in the crash. Frustration was one of them, directed to the person that scared the mouse.

The feeling quickly dissolved in delight when he saw who it was. Yanagi and Tanner stood before him, concern written across their features. "You okay? That was a nasty crash," Tanner asked. Ringer yipped happily, tail wagging. The teal haired man smiled and patted the fox's head.

"Sorry about that, Ringer," Yanagi spoke up. "I didn't think I would startle you like that." Ringer huffed, accepting the apology. "Where's Yusei?" The animal barked and trotted to the side door, the pair following close behind, then pawed at the thick, wood. Blister's angry shout could be heard from inside, probably complaining about claws marks going to develop on the painted surface.

"Hey, Blister," Tanner greeted when the brunette opened the door. The twenty-year-old smirked, casting his gaze from the fox and two ex-inmates.

"Why are you here?"

"Just coming to check up on a friend," he replied. He jabbed a thumb to the old man next to him, "This is Yanagi. He was Yusei's cellmate back in the Facility."

"Hi," the old man chimed. With cheeks pulled back into a smile, he showed off that gold tooth, wrinkling his small bead-like eyes. "So you're Blister. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Come on in," Blister huffed, moving aside to let the pair in. "He's in the garage, working on his runner." Both thanked the man and stepped through. Ringer followed, almost running into a finger pointed at his snout. "And you, stop pawing at the door. You're going to start leaving claw marks and I don't need to be fixing a paint job on a door. My landlord will notice."

The fox offered a sheepish whine, apologizing. Blister's calloused finger moved from his black nose, giving him passage into the house. Ringer trotted past Tanner and Yanagi, yipping to catch their attention, to show the way. Blister asked them a few questions along the way.

"Did you get Ringer's 'warm' welcome?" Both shook their heads and gave a confused expression. "He knocked me over last night. Wouldn't get up till Yusei called him," he ended with a chuckle. Yanagi joined him, snickering.

"Yeah. Ringer did that back in the Facility when we were sent where they keep the long-term."

"I thought he was going to rip Yusei to shreds," Tanner added. "That, or he was going to have a pretty bad bruise on his chin from hitting the ground so hard."

They shared a laugh, quickly interrupted by the fox's bark. The three adults stopped, looking at the animal. Ringer pawed at a dark green painted door, muffling the music and loud tinkering beyond it. Blister sighed and muttered something about neighbors complaining under his breath. They braced themselves for the loud sounds and stepped in. Ringer was more hesitant. The noise was a bit much for his long ringed ears.

"Yusei! Turn it down!" Blister shouted over the sounds. The teen didn't respond, staying kneeled at the runner's front wheel with a leather hammer, jacket dangling from the top. With hands clamped on ears, Yanagi hurried down the stairs and to Yusei's side.

"Yusei!" he cried near the ebony's ear, pulling his hands off the sides of his head and waving them in the air. This caught the teen's attention.

"Yanagi?" Yusei questioned in shock. The music was cut off and the adult's ears were saved, except the now throbbing that developed. Ringer didn't mind the throb, he could deal with it. "Hey, Ringer. How was the hunt? Find anything?" The fox nodded as he reached the teen. "I'm taking a guess and saying you didn't catch it." Ringer slid a glowering glare to the old man and ex-pro duelist.

"That would be my fault," Yanagi confessed. "I scared him when we arrived."

"When did you guys get out?" Yusei changed the subject. Ringer sat beside the duelist, panting happily. "I thought you would be in for at least a month."

"We got early release," Tanner answered. Gold eyes wandered around the room, inspecting the teen's new living quarters. They stopped after a few seconds, staying glued to something laying among the duelist's tools and damaged parts. He pointed to it. "Is that your's?"

Yusei looked to where the finger leads, trying to find the object buried in the clutter. It was his deck still locked in its card shuffler. He almost forgot Yanagi and Tanner have never seen his cards before, thanks to it being confiscated. "Yeah. Why?"

The teal-haired man smirked, placing his hands on his hips. "I think it's time I see those cards in action. What do you say?"

"Sure. But how about I clean this up first. Then, we can move outside," Yusei suggested. The ebony squatted back down and started grabbing his tools, placing them inside a wooden toolbox. Yanagi did the same, despite the protests of his old joints, handling the damaged and unused parts to toss them into a cardboard box. Soon, Tanner and Blister were helping, with Ringer snatching what was handed to him and sliding it onto shelves.

Once everything was put away and up, they grabbed their decks and walked out to where Ringer was hunting that mouse. The teen stood against Blister's house, Tanner across the way. Both had duel disks fastened on their wrists. The fox sat at Yusei's booted feet, Yanagi and the brunette taking the ex-pro's side.

"Since I took the first move last time, I'll let you go," Tanner stated.

"You got it." Yusei placed a hand on his deck, ready to draw a card he would never get to see. Thanks to a familiar white runner rolled between the two, the only break in the blank was something orange and yellow riding behind the driver.

"Hello, Yusei," Jack sneered. His partner gave a kinder greeting; a soft bark. Ringer responded to Celeste with the same, just a bit faster than Yusei could.

"Hey, Jack. Celeste." The ebony became fully aware of the other pairs of eyes on them, watching and listening to their conversation and movements. "What do you want?"

"I've heard you're competing in the Fortune Cup. Is Ringer invited, too?"

"Yeah," Yusei huffed. "But it's not like I had a choice." True confusion crossed the blonde's face, exchanging it with his passenger. Then, turned back to their 'friend', searching for an explanation. "Our friends in the Satellite," Yusei started, pulling the picture out of his inner jacket pocket. "That clown-like character- I think his name was Lazar- handed me this and said they will pay for everything I did if I didn't participate."

"I'm sorry, Yusei." Jack's purple eyes stayed on the picture, memories flashing behind them with every second he stared at it. "I had no clue about this." Yusei pushed the photo back to where it was. "I just came by to give you this." It was Jack's turn to dig for something, this time from his deck pouch to pull a single card. "When you duel me, I want it to be with this." Looking down, Yusei was shocked by what it was. He took it like a piece of glass.

Stardust Dragon.

Ringer had stood on his back legs, front paws balancing himself on the ebony's side. He wanted to see the card he was so happy to have on their field, dueling alongside their cherry red Duel Runner, once again. There was always something about it, maybe an aura or just some silly feeling, that made the strange mark on his shoulder itch.

"You know," Jack said, pulling their attention from the card. "You haven't changed a bit, Yusei. Always putting your friends before yourself."

"What about you, Jack?" Yusei inquired. "You promised Crow and Spark you would take care of his runner. Did you?"

"It's sitting in the garage."

"And Celeste," Yusei started, pausing to swallow the nervousness of an answer unwanted. "Do you collar her? That Lazar person gave me a collar with my information on it."

The blonde reached back and pushed his partner's fur back, revealing a hint of blue nylon with a metal pink heart dangling from a silver loop. Muttering something about it being 'safer' for her, Jack turned around and tore out, leaving them breathing in the exhaust and dust. The older teen probably didn't feel the blue eyes watching him leave.

"Please tell me that's the dragon card," Yanagi hoped. The old man scampered to the teen, eager to see his precious card. Blister and Tanner followed not too far behind. The card was held between a gloved thumb and finger, turning it to face its audience. Yanagi's eyes brightened up, widening to the side of dinner plates. He gasps, "You and Ringer are Signers!"

"That means Jack and Celeste are too. They're the ones who we were dueling that night." Yusei thought about it more, eyes widening slightly at a new piece of information: "Crow and Spark were there. They followed me here instead of staying in the Satellite. I'm pretty sure they had a mark as well."

"Hold on," Blister interrupted, hands held up as to block any further exchange. "What are you talking about? What's with this talk about Signers? And who are Crow and Spark?" Yusei opened his mouth ready to try his hand at explaining things when he was cut off by a suggestion.

"How about we walk down to the Daimon Arena; I heard there's a great duel happening. Along the way," Tanner pointed a finger at Yusei, then passed it to Yanagi. "You two can explain. From the beginning."

The youngest nodded, seeing the terms reasonable. They pulled off their Duel Disks and placed them inside, but placed their decks in their respective holders, dangling from their hips. The walk was long, maybe thirty minutes, but it was long enough to explain the important parts. Yusei started with the first day he met his partner, or what he considered one of the best days of his life. He spilled about his relationship with Jack, who he looked up to like an older brother. The days of dueling his 'little brother' were brought back and made the teen wish he knew what happened to Crow and Spark.

He talked about how he met his friends Blitz, Nervin, Tank, and Rally. The spunky teen had got along with Crow and Spark, but it took a bit for them to trust each other. Though, that was mostly due to the yellow fox protecting his partner.

The part of Jack betrayal ground Yusei's teeth into stumps. Ringer offered an ear for his partner to rub, to calm himself down. It worked and Yusei continue with how he wanted a better life for his friends in the city and he knew his card would get them there. The plan and how it was almost blown, courtesy of Trudge and a certain redhead who decided to follow him.

Any detail about the duel with Jack was questioned by Yanagi, who excitedly hopped by his side as they walked. Yusei told about Ringer's strange shoulder mark appearing on his arm, shining through his jacket and glove. When their dragons clashed, claws trying to tear away hologram flesh and teeth trying to sink into a long battle-scarred neck, summoned the Crimson Dragon. They crashed a few moments after, marks still burning their skin.

"Wow," Tanner said once Yusei had finished. "That's why you got thrown in the Facility? And you didn't even get your card back, until today." Yusei nodded, staying quiet to listen to Yanagi's explanation. It was short and wasn't much, due to the fact he didn't know a lot about the topic.

While he explained, Yusei took the time to look around. He couldn't see much, the area was a clearing surrounded by buildings either run down or occupied by the poor and homeless. The center of the clearing was crowded, causing his field of vision to be limited. They shouted and whooped as a duel went underway. His friends didn't pay attention, but he did. More specifically, two little kids strolling up to one of the watchers, Duel Disks strapped to their wrists. A little brown fox trotted by the teal haired boy's heels.

The teal haired boy and a little fox was familiar; it was Leo and Kari. The other was nowhere in the teen's mind. His white collared shirt folded over the strap of a red bowtie. Two strips of elastic stretched over either shoulder and clipped to the front of his navy blue shorts. His brown dress shoes were scuffed and dirty, protecting his white knee-high socks. Black glasses framed large, curious brown eyes.

"Excuse me, sir." The man turned to Leo, revealing a criminal mark. "Have you see the Black Rose Duo?"

"Why don't you go back to the nursery where you belong?" The man snipped, eyes filled with hate and anger, masking the joy he got from scaring a couple of kids. "That's the only place for people who believe that urban legend nonsense."

"Yikes," the brown-haired boy breathed and pushed his glasses up his nose bridge. Kari gave a low, threatening growl. The pair stepped away, disappointed by their find. "We're never going to find her at this rate. They don't believe us."

"Come on, Dexter." Leo turned to his friend, being careful as he walked backward. "We just have to keep looking. We'll find them eventually, just have to be persistent." The boy turned around, locking eyes with his watcher. "Hey, Yusei!" He ran to the group, Kari sprinting on little legs. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Yusei responded. "This is a dangerous place. You really shouldn't be here."

"We're looking for the Black Rose Duo." The brown haired boy came up behind Leo, careful of a hand being thrown into the air excitedly. He kept his brown eyes glued to the ground, almost in disappointment. When he did look up, they became large and fearful. "Oh, Dexter! This is Yusei and his partner Ringer, they fixed me and Luna's Duel Disks."

"Guys, this is Leo."

"Leo," the kid whispered fearfully. "They're all marked." Leo ignored his friend's fear and looked to one of Yusei's gloved hands, the cream-colored envelope with gold accents. The teen had pulled the picture out when he mentioned his Satellite friends, wanting to show the adults what they looked like. Then, folded it and slipped it into the envelope.

"You got an invitation! Now, we get you to duel you again!" The kid exclaimed. "This is going to be great, Kari!" The small fox yipped happily and leaping into the air. Her partner laughed at the excited energy. It masked Dexter's nervous one with ease.

"Leo." The boy looked to the Yanagi. "What was all this talk of the Black Rose Duo? Why are you trying to find them?" This sent the boy into a new level of excitement. Yusei could only assume this was a hobby of the boy's.

"The Black Rose Duo is probably the coolest thing ever!" Leo shouted, hopping from foot to foot, unable to contain his overloading excitement. "The Black Rose Duo is a partnership between a girl and a rabid wolf. The girl is amazing when she duels, her cards actually come to life. Her monsters are like real monsters. Her traps are like _real_ traps! And her spells-"

"I think they get the picture, Leo," Dexter interrupted. The boy offered a small smile as an apology. Yusei heard Ringer huffed softly at the boy's habit to rant. Then, he continued the explanation.

"Her wolf is just as amazing. It can make things float in the air. There are accounts of their opponents going crazy and seeing things. I think some of them ended up in an asylum," Leo explained. "Dexter has been wanting to duel them for a while. Me and Kari, on the other hand, have a few questions. See, Luna's partner, Shard, was like Kari a few years ago. We have no idea why it happened, but when I found out about the Black Rose Duo, I just had to see if they have any answers."

"I know what you mean," Yusei agreed. He placed a hand on Ringer's head, rubbing the forehead ring lightly. The fox looked up and smile. "Ringer changed only a couple years ago. He was like Kari, but during a full moon, he changed. I think we may need to join you on this hunt."

"Wait a minute," Tanner said, holding up a hand to catch their attention. "Isn't the Black Rose Duo a myth?"

The fox flinched under Yusei's gloved hand and whimpered suddenly. His head whipped around sharply, licking at the strange mark on his shoulder. The teen kneeled down, trying to ignore the throbbing on his arm. Ringer's shoulder shone a bright red, the dragon head staring at his concerned partner.

This time, he could do something. Wrapping his arms around Ringer's neck and rubbing the forehead ring, Yusei was able to calm him down. They ignored their friends' cries and pleas for a response. But they did feel the ground rumble.

"It's just like… before," Yusei panted, trying to ebbe the heartbeat in his arm. The ground shook harder, then split open. Large thorn ridden vines split the earth apart, chewing it like a dog with a steak. Dust was kicked up, the crowd long gone. There was no way a hologram could appear through the fog, but it did.

Long vines slithered into the air, sharp thorns point to the ground. Through the airborne dust, Yusei spotted the dragon as it threw its head back and released a loud shriek. Its wings spread overhead. They were petal-like, fanning out like a rosebud.

Yusei winced and pushed the fabric dulling the harsh glow of his mark. It bit at his skin, almost burning the small hairs rooted around it. "That's no tattoo," he heard Tanner remark. "I knew about Ringer's but I thought that was just some weird pattern any normal animal has." The fox tried licking the red design, whining as his own burned the flesh under black fur.

"It's them," Leo whispered. He pointed a finger into the fog and everyone looked, eyes squinting to see what he was talking about. A little clearer through the thick curtain was a person, slender and tall. The cloak she wore was long and covered most of her appearance, her face hidden behind a white mask. Beside her, an animal was in a familiar hunters crouch. Yusei was unable to determine the type of creature due to a similar cloak covering its body.

"I need to talk to you," Leo shouted, standing up from where he fell and sprinting off. Kari was at his heels, trying to keep up.

"Leo!" Yusei called, trying to call the kid back, away from any danger. He didn't hear the teen. The ebony stood and raced after the teal haired boy. Ringer ran ahead, gifted with long legs, and caught up with the boy and his partner, frozen in one spot.

The Black Rose Duo perched on a rock, staring down Leo and Kari. "Leo," Yusei tried once more, this time succeeding. Through her white mask, she seemed to switch her glare to the teen. The animal next to her gave a low growl, daring them to take a step towards them. Ringer stepped in front of his partner, fur bristling and lips pulled back into a threatening smile. Then, turned his body, ready to take any blow willing to come their way.

"You also have a mark," the girl bellowed. Yusei looked at his arm, then to her other arm, the one a Duel Disk didn't occupy. It too was glowing that harsh red light. Through the cloak of the animal, the same shape could be seen over one of its shoulders.

"I do. So, what?" The teen questioned. He tested a step forward, only to be pushed back by his partner. His grin was gone, replaced by a curious glance as if asking permission to take that step. Ringer flattened his fur, head hung low to show he meant no harm and padded slowly to the Duo. The girl stiffened, sucking in a harsh breath in alarm and fear. Her partner, on the other hand, did the opposite.

It shook the hood off, revealing its face. Her ears were long and bent at the point. Two long tufts of purple fur poured out. Dark purple eyes stared at Ringer, standing out against her light purple fur. The center of her forehead had a dark red gem. She looked at the black fox, also curious. Something in those large violet eyes sparked, then she chirped. Ringer responded with the same.

"Stay away from her!" The girl shouted, throwing a card on her Duel Disk. The action caused the dust settling around them to kick up again, circling the pair. When it calmed, Yusei's mark disappeared, just like the Black Rose Duo.


	22. Chapter 21

"Luna, have you seen Kari's shampoo?" Leo shouted through the apartment. The young girl didn't say, just followed the sound of her brother's voice and pointed to where it had always sat in the bathroom. Honestly, her brother would lose his head if it wasn't attached. "Thanks!"

It's been a week since Yusei dropped off a shaken Leo and Dexter, wordlessly. The two friends shared wide eyes and nervous, scared smiles. Kari was in better shape, only a bit bristled, but able to process things a bit faster than the boys. Luna had guided her brother to the couch, throwing a blanket over him and did the same for Dexter. Then, bid the teen farewell. When she turned around, Kari was trapped in Leo's tight, sleep-induced grip. Not that the fox minded, she too had passed out, curled in her favorite place. Dexter had fallen asleep, curled up on the other side of the couch. Luna called the brunette's parents, telling them their son was so they could come to pick him up.

Now, it was their big day; the Fortune Cup and like promised, Leo woke up before the sun to dye his partner's fur like Shard's, who had to sit in the bathroom with the pair. Thankfully, the dye is only temporary and will come out with one wash. Sadly, this was her brother's fourth try and he was no closer to getting it right. There were too many flaws in his plan.

For one, Shard was bigger than Kari, about three times her size to be exact. While her body was small and legs stubby, Shard was skinny and legs long. He was built for running, she wasn't. Then, Kari had longish fur, getting tangled easily and forcing Leo to spend hours brushing her fur. Luna's partner had always been easy to take care of, with short fur, she spent only a few minutes.

Though, she did want to know how Leo was going to replicate Shard's tail and ear shape and his flowing ribbons. Even their eyes were different, Kari's a nice chocolate brown and Shard ice, cold blue. Maybe Kari's chest fur will be smoothed down by some hair gel.

"I think I got it!" came a shout from the bathroom. "Luna, come see!"

With a sigh, the younger twin slid off the couch and laid her book back on the coffee table. She walked to the restroom and peered in. Bottles of hair dye littered the floor, water-soaked bath mats oozed out what it held as the towels used squeezed the liquid out. Soap suds fell to the waterlogged floor like flowers blowing off a tree in the wind.

In the middle of the mess, sat Leo and Kari, who didn't look like herself. Her ears, tail, and paws were dyed a hot pink, matching Shard sitting in the corner. Her forehead bore the same heart like marking. Her tail was groomed and gelled into a slick, thin crescent. The rest of her brown fur was masked in white, fluffy chest fur flattened to her chest and dyed white. The inner ear was a nice blue.

The little fox wasn't the only one who seemed to have gotten a bit of a color change. Leo, standing proudly by what he was able to accomplish, had a few spots of blue on his fisted hands. The white jacket he normally wore didn't have a speck of white left, now it looked like one of Luna's; a light pink. White shorts appeared untouched, but if she looked closer, Luna could spot a few flecks of white dye. Even her brother's face adopted a few spots of each color.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around the war contained room. The boy looked around as if realizing the mess. Then, shrugged. "We're not going to be able to clean this up before we get need to leave." She took another glance around. "Plus, you need to finished Kari's look and you need to get ready."

"It won't take _that_ long," Leo scoffed. "We only need to move the bath mats outside to dry and put the empty bottles into the recycling. What time do we have to be there?"

"Nine."

"What time is it?"

"Eight-thirty." The words didn't fully fall from her mouth when Leo sped out of the room, Kari fast on his heels. Luna sighed and started the cleanup. Shard picked up a couple bottles with his ribbons, taking another in his jaws. The little girl lifted the soaping wet towels from the floor, water already seeping through her clothes and plastering them to her skin.

She strung the towels over the shower curtain bar while Shard left the room to put the bottles in their green bin. The fox came back to help his partner drag the soaked bath mats to the sunny poolside.

As they finished, Leo had ran back down the stairs fully dressed in his sister's usual attire, make-up messily put on and hair tied like her's. All specks of dye gone from his face. Kari had a small white and pink bow tied to her ear and neck. Long white ribbons dragged along the floor, two branching from the bow on her neck. Two more hung from behind the ear bow.

In her brother's hands was her jacket and an old yellow hat, in his other was Shard's raincoat. This is what the younger pair was going to wear, so Leo's plan wouldn't backfire. If anyone were to recognize her, Leo would be exposed as her twin. Or they would usher her into the dueling arena instead of Leo. They weren't taking any chances.

The jacket was big on her frame, hanging from her pale, thin arms and over her small hands. She felt the bottom of it tickle the back of her knees, just an inch past her white shorts. Even the hat was a bit too big, falling over her bangs and casting a dark shadow over her golden eyes, fitting over her high pigtails.

Shard's raincoat draped over his back, hiding his ribbons from sight, and snapped together before his chest. He pressed his large ears to his head, allowing the hood to slide over them with ease. Small boots concealed his pink paws, stopping at the elbow. While Luna dressed the fox, he couldn't help one of his ribbons snaking up the sleeve of her jacket and wrapping around her arm.

She checked the time; eight' forty-five. They had fifteen minutes to pick up Dexter and get to the Kiba Dome. Hopefully, they could hail a taxi in time.

They rushed to the elevator, Duel Disks in hand, and pushed one of the many buttons. Dexter's floor was part of the middle building, the only floor with two apartments. It was perfect for Dexter's divorced parents. That way, they could switch off their time with the boy every other week.

"Hey, guys," Dexter greeted, happily waiting at the elevator for their arrival. He stepped into the elevator and pushed the lobby button for them. The doors slid closed. "Ready for your-" He cut himself off, now noticing the amount of make-up Leo had plastered on his face. Their mother's hot pink blush circled his cheeks. Cherry red lipstick smeared on his lips, mixing with the lip liner he used. "What do you have on your face? And why?"

"It's make-up." Leo huffed. "It's to help me look like Luna. What do you think of Kari? Does she look like Shard?" His friend looked down at the fox sitting at her partner's feet.

"She looks like him, but the height difference sticks out," he responded. "And her eyes are brown, Shard's are blue. How are you going to fix that?"

"I don't know…" Leo trailed off, probably thinking how he could change his partner's eyes in the short time they had. "I guess Kari just can't look people in the eye. Or I can tell them she got a sickness that changed her eyes?" The suggested solution earned a few disbelieving glares, knowing that the last one wouldn't work.

Luna opened her mouth, ready to tell her brother to think of something else only to be cut off by the elevator ding and its jaws opening wide for their stop. They stepped off and Luna checked the clock hanging above the doorman's head. Eight' fifty. It took them five minutes to get Dexter.

They sprinted to the doors, catching the attention of man behind the desk. Luna heard him call for help, wanting to catch the sprinting kids, who weren't supposed to leave the building. Kari struggled to keep up, short legs tripping of the fake ribbons. When she fell, Leo had to stop and scoop her up, saving her just a matter of seconds before the doorman landed where she had laid.

Down the street and around the corner, they lost the apartment staff. They paused, heaving in breaths like their life depended on it. Luna's diaphragm aches, begging for more air. She wasn't used to running or getting outside in general. Always locked in that house 24/7.

"Taxi!" Leo called, once his breath eased back to normal, hand waving in the air to catch someone's attention. It was their lucky day, a yellow car pulled up and the driver peered over the passenger window. "We need to get to the Kiba Dome and fast. How quick can you get us there?"

"Uh…" the man said. He removed his hat, using the rim to scratch his balding head. "About five-six minutes, maybe? Depends on traffic." Luna rushed over, pulling the handle on the back door to open it. Dexter climbed in, followed by the girl. Kari and Shard jumped in, earning a few complaints from the driver, "Hey! You and your animals have to take a different cab. I'm allergic to dogs."

"Sorry, Mister," Leo replied. "But they're not dogs. And we really can't call another cab." The man huffed but waited for the twin to slid in. He pulled from the curb once the door was shut and hit the gas. The kids were too busy clinging for dear life to notice how long it took, eyes screwed shut in fear.

"We're here," they heard the man say, the car coming to a sudden stop. Luna used her feet to keep herself on the seat, pushing against the center console. Her brother and friend, on the other hand, fell into the seats and nearly crushed Kari.

"Thanks." Leo swayed on his feet to gain equilibrium. His partner stumbled, tripping over her own feet and the long pieces of fake ribbons hanging from her neck. Luna was able to stay upright thanks to an assist from the side of the car. It vanished fast from her hand, speeding down the road.

"He was certainly in a hurry," Dexter remarked from behind. "He didn't even tell us how much the ride costs." Luna nodded, pulling the hat down over her eyes when prying eyes stared at them. "Either of you know what time it is?" They glanced around. Shard's bark made them turn to him, pointing to a bank sign displaying the time. They had five minutes to get inside and where they needed to be.

They pushed through the crowd waiting to get inside, Leo flashed the invitation to the person behind the glass and rushed in. Weaving between running kids and anxious adults, the reached a door with a piece of paper taped to it reading 'Competitors'. Leo flung the door opened and the others followed close behind.

"You finally made it," someone says behind them. Turning, they were met with four pairs of eyes. Yusei was offering them a small smile, Ringer sitting at his feet with fur groomed and red collar hanging loosely from his neck. Yanagi and Tanner stood on either side of the pair.

"We would have been here sooner if Leo didn't take so long dying Kari's fur," Luna snarked as she sent a glared her brother's way. "Or if he didn't take so long getting ready and left me and Shard to clean up your mess in the bathroom."

"How do Kari and I look?" Leo asked the others, ignoring his sister. The teen looked at the pair, watching the boy get more and more excited.

"You look great," Yanagi replied. Leo couldn't help jumping and letting out a shout of joy. Kari barked with him. This earned a kick to the shin from Luna. Shard growled a warning to Kari.

"We do not act like that," she snapped. "You have to calm down. Unless you want your plan to backfire."

"We better get going," Yusei advised. Then, turned to his friends. "See you guys later." Ringer lead the way, followed closely by his partner. Leo stuck by the ebony's side, Kari stepping in front and leading with Ringer. "You might want to get rid of the make-up. It's a bit too much." Leo used his sleeve to wipe the lipstick and blush off, smearing it a bit instead.

The small group walked down the hallway, reaching a door labeled 'understage'. A man in a suit stood by it, tall and dressed in a black suit. A wire coiled around his ear and threaded under his black coat from behind.

"Welcome everyone," he said. "I will be checking your invitations for attendance, please have them out when you are next. When you enter, there should be arrows lighting up the floor. Follow them to the platform and standby for the start of the tournament." Leo reached into his back pocket and grabbed the folded envelope. He showed it to the man. He nodded and marked something on a clipboard. The pair was pushed in.

Yusei did the same, earning a rude, quiet comment from the man. Though it didn't seem to affect the teen, Ringer's ears pressed to his head and avoided eye contact as he cowered away. They stepped in after the boy. Leo looked down, spotting the green lights on the floor, ready to guide them to their destination. A spotlight lit up a small area. The boy turned behind him. Ringer's forehead ring glowed brightly, aimed at the ground.

"That's so cool," he breathed. They followed the arrows to a grey bar like platform, standing out from the black backstage floor. Ringer's light showed the surface of the grey section littered with red tape 'X's for where they had to stand. Yusei took one on the far right end, his partner taking the smaller 'X' beside it. Leo and Kari stood on the pair next to it.

The other contestants filed in one by one, searching through the dark for where they had to stand. It seemed to take forever for Leo and Kari. They stood there, squirming and shifting on their feet, excitement turning into nervousness. They were going to duel professionally. The thought of it causing his stomach to swirl and churn harder.

"Kari." The small fox looked up. "I think I'm going to puke."

"You're not going to puke, Leo," he heard Yusei say. "It's just nerves. Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth." The boy followed his friend's instructions, taking a deep breath through his nose and emptying his lungs with his mouth. It worked. His stomach settled and the nauseous feeling in his throat vanished.

"Thanks, Yusei." Leo didn't hear anything else from the teen, probably cut off from the elevator like doors opening overhead, the roaring crowd and the announcer yelling into his microphone.

"Let's give a great round of applause for our competitors!" Their audience became louder, screaming for entertainment and for a great show. Leo's golden gaze searched the standing people for his sister and Shard. The yellow-orange jacket was kind of hard to miss, and the bright blue of Shard's raincoat even harder. Both had gotten to their feet, excited, seated between Yanagi and Dexter. Tanner took the aisle. "Let's wish them luck with dueling in the Fortune Cup!"

The crowd didn't spike its excitement, roaring with everything they had. Instead, the died down, passing uneasy glances to one another. Something was wrong. Leo couldn't figure out what, but it made Kari uneasy, shifting her weight back and forth between her front paws. Some comments grew louder. Leo heard Ringer whine beside him.

"They're from the Satellite!"

"They probably stole their invitations from someone."

"Get them out of here!" Leo looked around, searching for who this other person was. On the other side of the stadium was a teen a little older than himself. Orange hair held in the air by a thick dark headband, two silver rings looping from the material. Yellow marks shaped his cheeks and flagged his grey eyes, another painted on his forehead with a small dot. He wore an orange top that was mostly covered by a brown vest It stopped a couple inches from the black belt holding up navy blue pants.

The fox beside him pressed its side against his tall dusty, brown boots. Yellow fur spiked out and messy, despite how much grooming the teen probably did. Large purple eyes stayed glued to the crowd. A white patch of fur, similar to the neck fluff on Kari, spiked out and down the fox's chest.

"Ignore them," Yusei said calmly. Not an ounce of anger towards the comments. Ringer's whines died down. Then, added, "It's also a bit rude to stare, Leo."

"But, Yusei." The teen turned to him. "There's someone else-"

"I have a question for all of you, as duelists," a voice boomed over Leo's protests. The crowd quieted, competing duelists looking to the new speaker and holder of the mic; a man bigger than Yusei in all aspects, long black hair falling past his shoulders. Gold rings clamped to his biceps, another on one of his wrists. Black gloves stopped below the elbow and left his fingers to the environment. His deck hung from a brown belt that tied his pants around his hips.

Besides him stood a small penguin-like creature. Its feathers two tones of blue, light blue underbelly, wing tips, and mask. Dark blue to the rest. Four white dots stuck to its belly like stickers. Three-toed feet dipped yellow. Its beak the same color, but it extended into two crests rounding its head and meeting in the back. Dark blue eyes searing with anger stayed fixated on the crowd.

He pointed to Yusei and Ringer, then to the other marked teen. "What is it that you see? That makes you judge them the way you do?" The people shared nervous glances unsure about what he was talking about. "I see a couple of duelists who have every right to be here as much as I do. Marked or not. We all have cards, we are all the same, so there's nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, you all should be ashamed for judging someone and not knowing what they have done."

He handed the mic back to the MC, leaving the fans silent and waiting. Waiting for someone to react and snap them out of their dazed state. When that person gathered the courage to do it, all eyes were on the person everyone knew; Mr. Goodwin. The rest followed after that, one by one joining their agreeing opinions.

"Thank you, Grieger and Snow," the man bellowed once it all died down. "Everyone is equal here." He turned to the MC. "Announce the pairings, please."

"Alright everyone," he yelled into the mic. "Hope you're ready to see who is going against who. Display the match pairings!" Leo looked up and searched the hologram screen for Luna and Shard's picture. Next to it was Grieger and his partner. He was getting to duel Grieger. And they were first! The boy looked over to the man, locking eyes with him.

"Ready, Kari?" The small fox yipped, showing her energy. The floor under them shook, then slowly lowered back under the stadium. Once the platform hit the bottom, Leo heard one of the foxes bark followed by a rush of air. Leo ignored it, wanting to get ready for his duel.

"Come on, Kari! Let's go." She trotted with him, excitement flowing through her and making it hard to keep the cool and calm composure of Shard. The fox followed her partner blindly in the dark as they tried searching for the door they came through just a few minutes before. After running into the wall a few times, Leo had found the door handle and threw the door opened. Kari squinted, unprepared for the blinding light of the room.

"Hey, Leo!" Someone called from the dark, her partner already inside the room. "I want you to meet someone!" The boy didn't ignore the voice, calling back to Yusei.

"I'll see you in the finals," and rushed off to start preparing. Both, boy and fox, had the teen's advice running in their minds. They needed to change their way of thinking, try new combinations and techniques with their cards if they wanted to reach the finals.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The MC announced. "Put your hands together for our first competitors; Grieger and his partner, Snow. Their opponents; little Luna and her partner; Shard." Leo felt his nerves return as he stepped onto that stadium, across the arena was his opponent. The large penguin waddling with him.

Kari trotted by Leo's side, fur colored and slick with their Father's hair gel and Mother's hairspray. The boy desperately hoped their opponents won't be able to smell it. They stopped at the middle of the dueling arena, meeting the other pair. Grieger towered over Leo by a good amount of inches. More like a few feet. Even the penguin was taller than Kari.

"I really liked your speech," Leo said in a voice similar to his sister's. He held out a hand. "Thanks for standing up for my friend. He was one of the Satellites you mentioned."

"I didn't appreciate what they were saying," Grieger replied with a smile, taking the boy's small hand in his large one. "You have a strong grip there." He stumbled back at the comment, mind searching for an explanation. "And I thought Shard would be a bit… Bigger." Leo looked at Kari, not knowing what to do. If he didn't of a response quick, their cover would be blown.

"Uh… A lot of people say I'm a tomboy, but I don't really believe them. And Ka-Shard, he's always smaller than what people assume." He tried striking a more feminine posture, Kari puffing her chest out a bit further. Sweat dripped down Leo's back, calling his lie out. The angered glare of Luna only made it worse, he was sure of it. The boy could only imagine Shard's disbelieving gaze, knowing he had said something wrong.

"Well, I hope you put up a good fight," the tall man chuckled. Leo released the breath he had been holding. Honestly, he didn't think that would work. They walked to their sides of the arena and activated their Duel Disks. Leo's blue Duel Disk flashed a rainbow of colors as it did. Grieger drew a card, "We'll take the first turn. And I'll activate the spell Star Blast. For every 500 Life Points I give up, I can lower the level of my monster by one."

The man's Life Points subtracted the 500 in a blink. "I decrease the level of my Summon Reactor-SK by one, allowing me to summon it to my field in attack mode." Leo watched the holographic monster slowly grow in size, casting a large shadow over him and Kari. Green metal gleamed in the sun, bouncing off and catching the three-pronged propellers. "Then, I'll set a card to end our card."

The penguin chirped next to Grieger, earning a pat on the head and a small smile. "Ready, Shard?" The fox yipped and hopped in her toes. "It's our turn," Leo called, pulling a card from his deck. It was Morphtronic Celfon. "You're going to love what I just drew, Shard. I summon out Morphtronic Celfon." The monster stood in attack position, sending an angry glare to the monster across from it.

The monster in question turned on its propellers, blasting a stream of air at the smaller duelist. Leo shielded his face with his arms, protecting his eyes from any dust being kicked up. Kari tried her best against the wind, moving ever so slowly behind her partner to block it. The gust stopped as quickly as it had started, but when Leo looked up he was shocked to see his Life Point counter with 800 points missing.

"That's the effect of my Summon Reactor-SK," Grieger explained. "When you summon a monster on your field at the beginning of your turn, then my Reactor subtracts 800 Life Points from you."

"That's fine," Leo breathed, looking at his own monster. "But your monster isn't the only one with an ability. I activate my Celfon's. My monster will dial a number between one and six. Whatever number is picked, then I can flip over that many cards. If any happen to be a Morphtronic, then I can summon one of them. Celfon," the monster looked to its master. "You can start dialing, now!"

The numbers lit up one by one, switching at a fast pace. It slowed down, gradually, beeps following it. The number two was lit up last, beeps ceasing to exist and the flashing coming to a halt. "Alright! Let's see what we've got!" Leo pulled the cards, flipping them to face Kari and him. "I summon out my Morphtronic Boomboxen." The monster sat next to Celfon, blue tint hiding the true color of the boombox metal. "I set one face down and end my turn." The card slot behind Celfon lit up, the design of the back displaying for all to see.

"Our draw," Grieger responded. Snow chirped, flapping his wings as he peeked at his partner's cards. "We summon Trap Reactor-Y FI." The man lifted a finger, aiming at one of Leo's monsters. "Trap Reactor, attack Morphtronic Celfon." The large fighter jet like monster aimed the guns on its face at the target. Yellow bullets shot out when it was fired, the projectiles making their way to the cell phone monster on Leo's field.

"I activate my face down," Leo called, pressing a button on his blue Duel Disk. The card behind Celfon flipped up, revealing the hologram artwork. "Morphtransition allows me to negate your attack and switch my Celfon's battle position." The cell phone folded, sliding its legs and body together to make the keypad. Its arms clicked into place above its turtled head. The shiny yellow-orange metal adopted a light blue tint.

"That's fine," Grieger announced. "You activated Trap Reactor's special ability, which hits you with 800 points of damage when you activate a trap card and destroys it." Leo watched the yellow bullets went around his Celfon and tore through his trap, continuing their path to the boy's and Kari's feet. They covered their faces as the cloud of dust picked up. When it settled, Leo saw his Life Points down at 2400.

"Now, Summon Reactor, attack their Morphtronic Boomboxen," Grieger commanded. The propellers kicked up a powerful gust of wind, spinning at an unseeable speed. The funnels of air snaked their way to the intended target.

"I activate my Boomboxen's effect." Leo watched the small tornados hit his monster, trying to smash it to smithereens. "When in defense mode and the target of an attack, I can negate it once per turn." Leo stared down his opponent in a triumphant smile. His partner growled next to him. "Since I didn't activate a trap to do this, our Life Points are safe."

"Nice move," Grieger commented. Snow squaked his agreement. The ebony pressed a button on his own Duel Disk, "I activate my facedown, Damage Summon. I can pay 800 Life Points to summon a monster from my hand." The Life Point counter decreased to 2700. "I summon Spell Reactor-RE. Attack her Boomboxen!"

The dragon-like air fighter shot over the pair's head. Leo craned his neck to get a good look, Kari was forced to sit, staring up to the sky to the hologram. Something moved, small and unable to see due to how far away it was. The Reactor circled a few times before returning to its master's side. But there was still something in the sky, getting closer by the second. It looked like a bomb.

 _It is a bomb,_ Leo thought, golden eyes widening at the realization. His partner whimpered next to him. It may have been fake, but it didn't make the threat any kind of sugar-coated. The small fox pressed herself to his leg and ducked. He did the same, ears already ringing from the whistle of the bomb drawing near.

They heard the distorted scratch of a vinyl record, followed by glass shattering. Kari opened her brown eyes. Boomboxen was gone from the field, Life Points untouched. Grieger removed a card from his hand and slipped it into one of the card slots. "I place one card face down to end my turn." Snow sent a slight glare to Kari, something like a tease or a dare. The small she-fox growled in response. Does that bird-brain actually think he and Grieger were going to win?

"Let's win this, Kari." She looked up at her name. It wasn't a slip-up, though Leo did make plenty of those. But with the determined look on her partner's features, new card in hand, she knew otherwise. Turning back to the battle, Kari's brown eyes locked with the ice blue of Snow's. She growled, low and daring the pair to get in their way.

"Hey, Celfon," Leo called out. "How about we dial this duel up a notch and give me a peek at what's coming up? I activate my Celfon's second ability." The fast, constant, and annoying, beeps started again. After a few seconds, the sounds started coming to a slow, then halted altogether on the number three. He pulled the cards and showed them to Kari, excited; Morphtronic Datatron, Gadget Box, and Morphtronic Magnen. Then, placed them back to his deck.

"Now, I switch Celfon to attack position." The cell phone folded back out, blue tint fading from existence. "And activate his first special ability. Start dialing, now!" That annoying sound started once more, this time stopping at one. "Alright! That's just what we needed," Leo shouted and pulled the top card off. "I summon Morphtronic Datatron in attack mode." The small, orange flash drive took the cell phone's other side and folded out. Honestly, with it unfolded, Datatron looked like a lighter.

Summon Reactor's engines started up once again, blasting away 800 more of Leo's Life Points. Only 1600 left. "I activate my Datatron's ability. By tributing a monster on my field, I can deal 600 points of damage directly to you." Clefon's metal absorbed the sun's rays, gathering it. The monster's glow turned harsh, then changed shape. A small yellow ball replaced Celfon. It was sucked up by Datatron and spat out at Grieger.

The man had 2100 Life Points left. Leo hoped his plan would work. "Now, I sacrifice Datatron to summon out Gadget Hauler!" Off to Leo's right, a large truck sat where Datatron once was. The front painted a nice blue, leaving the load to its original silver coloring. When folded out, it looked like a weapon. "Then, I'll activate my Hauler's ability. By sending a Morphtronic from my hand to the graveyard, I can increase Gadget Hauler's attack by 800."

Leo grabbed the Magnen from his hand and slipped it into the graveyard. The truck's attack jumped to 2100. He pulled another card and pushed it into the spell and trap zone, "I play the spell Factory of 100 Machines. This allows me to banish all the Morphtronic monsters from my graveyard. Then, for each one I remove, I can increase a monster I control by 200." Leo smirked. "I have about four monsters in my graveyard." Gadget Hauler's attack increased to 2900."

Spell Reactor aimed those pair shooters at his card and fired, shattering it into thousands of tiny yellow pieces. Leo and Kari only have 800 Life Points left after the hit. If he doesn't end it this turn, they will lose. "Gadget Hauler, attack Grieger's Trap Reactor-Y FI."

"Not so fast," Grieger interrupted after pressing a button on his Duel Disk. "I activate my facedown, Delta Reactor. By sending three of my monsters to the graveyard, I can summon out my best monster; Flying Fortress SKY FIRE." The three monsters on the ebony's field swirled, packing themselves into small, bright orbs of light. They shot into the air, circling each other, and fused.

The light, when they fused, was bright. It dimmed quickly, covered by a large shadow. Was that his monster? Leo looked back to the field, mostly empty except for his Gadget Hauler and the duelists. The boy looked to Kari. "Sorry," was all he uttered. He turned back to the duel. "I end my turn." The effects of his spell wore off, lowering the Hauler's attack back to 2100.

"Our turn," Grieger said, drawing the last card of the duel. Leo knew it. "I activate my Flying Fortress's special ability. I can send a card from my hand to the graveyard and destroy card you control." The man took a card from his hand and let the graveyard slot take it. Gadget Hauler shattered. "You put up a good fight, Ms. Luna. But it's time to end this. Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, attack Luna directly."

Leo kneeled down to Kari's level and wrapped his arms around her, waiting for the bomb to drop. The whistling started a few seconds after his opponent's command, growing louder as the object got closer. The air whipped at his face, taking the small strands of hair framing his features and leaving stinging marks.

Leo looked up, the shadow above disappearing and the MC screaming, "What an upsetting ending! Grieger will be moving onto the next round!" The crowd cheered, unable to notice the small beads of water pricking the corners of his eyes.

Kari licked the salty water, earning a smile from her partner. The small fox stood on her back legs, placing her front paws on the boy's chest. She licked more at his face, wanting more of a reaction, for him to laugh instead of cry. She wanted him to be happy they even got to duel in a tournament. Her partner giggled at her attempts, or how ticklish her tongue was.

"You did great." They looked up. Grieger had made his way to their side of the arena, Snow by his side. The penguin chirped his agreement. The pair scrambled to their feet, not wanting to be rude. "Maybe, we can duel again someday." He held out one of his large hands and Leo took it.

"Next time, I'll win." Leo smiled big, keeping the 'Luna and Shard' facade up with a loose hand. They walked to the stage exit behind them, down the small flight of stairs and back into the competitor's room. Leo and Kari split off, leaving to the audience and to his angry sister.


End file.
